


A Typical Tuesday

by Anonymous_Bean



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Monsters have been on the surface for 3 years, My First Fanfic, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Racism, Sans is stubborn, Swearing, Torture, hate crimes against monsters, i don’t know how to tag things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2020-03-26 15:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19008346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Bean/pseuds/Anonymous_Bean
Summary: The title is a lie. A big. Fucking. Lie. It is anything but typical on this disastrous Tuesday. I guess that part wasn’t a lie.What starts off as a good- no, great day for Sans ends up being shit. Shittier than shit even. Who knew so much could go wrong in less than 24 hours. They can get through it though. They’ve all been through worse...Probably.But hey, tomorrow is another day.This may or may not just be a reason to hurt my son for no apparent reason. A bit of self indulgence if you will.Updates every other Tuesday





	1. Feeling Dandy

Like any other Tuesday, or any day of the week for that matter, Sans was woken up by the sound of his brother's boisterous voice and the smell of breakfast cooking. “SANS,” Papyrus called from the kitchen, “UNLESS YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE BREAKFAST THIS MORNING, MADE BY YOURS TRULY, I SUGGEST YOU GET YOUR BONEY BUTT DOWN HERE NOW!!” Sans chuckled lightly to himself at that.

 

He knew Papyrus was just kidding about him not getting breakfast. Papyrus does everything in his power to make sure that Sans eats three  _ healthy _ meals everyday. Which means,  _ no grease _ . But Sans was fine with that. As long as Papyrus was happy, he was happy. And besides, Papyrus didn't  _ have _ to know when Sans went to Grillby's anyway. He could have his secrets and so could Papyrus.

 

“heh, don't worry paps, i'll be down in a minute.”

“YOUR DEFINITION OF A MINUTE OR MY DEFINITION? BECAUSE APPARENTLY THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT MEANINGS!” Again, a small chuckle escaped Sans at that. Papyrus really was the best.

 

It took about 5 minutes for Sans to find a shirt and pair of shorts that he deemed we're clean enough. None of them were really that all that clean seeing as he never did his laundry, but it was enough. He usually didn't smell all that bad in the first place anyway. When he got down the steps he was immediately met with the smell of scrambled eggs and bacon. “hey bro. breakfast smells  _ egg _ cellent.”

 

“UGH SANS,” Papyrus groaned. “MUST YOU ALWAYS PLAGUE BREAKFAST WITH THOSE HORRID PUNS OF YOURS?!” Sans always loved people's reactions to his puns,  _ especially _ his brother's. “oh c'mon bro, my puns are  _ egg _ ceptional.” An even bigger groan from the younger of the two skeletons was the only response. Sans lived for this. These small interactions with his bro, the familiar banter back and forth, the shared meals. All things Sans felt he was the luckiest guy in the world for. He couldn't even  _ begin _ to imagine what he would do if he didn't have Papyrus in his life.

 

And he didn't have to. Papyrus was here and that was enough to keep his ever-present smile at least somewhat genuine at all times. He sat across from his brother to enjoy their meal. It, thankfully, wasn't pasta like Papyrus used to make for every meal. “WHAT'S GOT YOU IN SUCH A GOOD MOOD TODAY BROTHER?” Papyrus asked with genuine suspicion. His brother had never been a morning person so to see him up this early with a smile on his face was, quite odd to be honest. At that Sans's smile grew even wider and Papyrus feared he had just set Sans up for another bad pun, but then Sans answered with an honest reply, “i dunno bro. today's just gonna be a good day.” Papyrus was glad that there was no pun in-

 

“i can feel it _ in my bones _ .”

 

Ah. There it is. It was inevitable really and Papyrus had seen it from a mile away. Anyone would have really. The younger of the two let out a mirthless laugh, teeth clenched hard together. But he couldn't really be too upset with Sans. In truth, it had been a long time since Papyrus had seen his brother so happy. It only dawned on him then that it had been  _ so long _ since he had last seen Sans genuinely smile.  _ Years _ even.

 

“WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TODAY SANS?”

 

“eh, you know. it's tuesday so i only have to go to the hot dog stand. just like every other week bro,” Sans said with a mouthful of bacon. “UGH SANS. YOU _ KNOW  _ I DON'T WANT YOU WORKING THERE. IT'S DANGEROUS FOR MONSTERS ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN AND YOU KNOW THAT!” Papyrus protested.

 

When Sans had decided to get the job just about all his friends and family argued against it. They all agreed that the area it's in is far too dangerous for him to work in. There were a lot of people who hated monsters on the east side of town. Many hate related crimes against monsters happened over there. In fact, the majority of all monsterism happened on the east side. So in hindsight, it made perfect sense why no one wanted Sans to be in the middle of it all. Especially with his abnormally low stats. But Sans was stubborn and the job made decent pay just because of that fact. So he went behind their backs and accepted the job. He's been working there for a few months and the worst that happens is a few people will yell at him from time to time. There are enough people that are fine with monsters that the stand stays in business and there have even been some people who have stopped monster haters before things could get hostile.

 

“don't worry paps. you know me, i'll be fine. 's nothing i can't handle.” And it was true. Despite having low base stats Sans was quite the fighter. He was incredible at dodging and where his attacks lacked in strength he made up for in speed.

 

But that didn't stop Papyrus from worrying. Even after all this time he still worried about what could happen to Sans while he was at work. He still worried that Sans would leave...and he'd never come back. And he would be alone. Forever.

 

As if he could sense his brother’s unease, Sans reached across the table to pat Papyrus’s hand in reassurance. “hey, c’mon bro, there’s no need for all that okay. i’m gonna be fine and you’re gonna be fine. i ain’t gonna leave any time soon, so long as you don’t leave either. so don’t worry ‘bout it anymore.” Papyrus knew Sans was right but he couldn’t help the dread that was edging into his soul. Nothing, he feels, would be able to banish worry completely- besides Sans quiting the job. But that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon unfortunately. Sans was stubborn as hell when he put his mind to something. But why did it have to be  _ this _ ?

 

“Sans. I Want You To Promise To Me That You’ll Be Careful Today.” His tone was full of emotion as he spoke those words. “always paps. always,” Sans deadpanned. It was rare for Sans to make promises. As far as Papyrus knew, his older brother had only made about 6 promises in his life including this one. And he always made sure he kept them. No one knew why Sans was so strict on promises, but they respected him for it nonetheless. “I...O-Okay Sans. I Trust You.” That was as good as Sans was gonna get and he knew it.

 

He knew Papyrus hated him working there- with a fiery passion- but it paid the bills. Sure, he had other jobs and they were living pretty well off for themselves, but he wanted to make sure they had extra money in case Papyrus wanted to splurge on something or go explore the world or,  _ whatever _ . So long as he had the opportunity to do whatever his non-existent heart desired. Sans would take any risks if it meant his little brother could have the life he deserved, because he deserved the  _ fucking world _ .

 

Sans let out a deep sigh, signaling the end of the previous conversation. “anyway bro, got any plans for today after work? are you and undyne going to train today?” That seemed to draw Papyrus out of his downcast thoughts.”YES WE ARE! IN FACT, SHE ASKED IF I WANTED TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT HER AND ALPHYS’S HOME AND IF YOU WANTED TO COME TOO, ONCE YOU UH, Finished Work And All.” Papyrus really doesn’t expect Sans to accept the offer once he’s put it out there though.

 

Sure, Undyne and Alphys are also Sans’s friends but, Sans always declines- saying he has to get up early for work and things like that. But much to his surprise, Sans answers with a shrug and says yes. Kind of. “eh, sure. but i might get there a little late. depending on how late people want their ‘dogs.” Papyrus couldn’t believe his non-existent ears at that statement. Sans wanted to come hang out with them! And Papyrus didn’t have to bribe him or anything this time. Today truly is a good day. “R-REALLY SANS? YOU REALLY MEAN IT?” A quick nod from his older brother was all he got, but it was all that he needed. Papyrus jumped up from his seat at the table, knocking his  chair down in the process. He then proceeded to run to the other side to where Sans was seated and picked him up into a tight embrace. “WOWIE SANS! YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO COME TO HAVE A SLEEPOVER WITH US?!” To say Papyrus was excited was an understatement. He was on Cloud 9 right now. “paps if you keep asking, i might just change my mind on ya,” Sans said in a joking tone. “PLEASE DON'T!” Papyrus said dramatically, playing along with the older of the two's playful teasing.

 

“hey i'll be there bro. promise.” That's where Papyrus's expression changed from one of excitement to one of skepticism. Two promises in one year was unheard of coming from his brother. But to get two in the same  _ morning _ ? Impossible! And yet, he just made two to Papyrus. Today must really be a good day for such an outcome. But it was quite suspicious to say the least.

 

“SANS. ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?” Papyrus asked with confusion written on all his features. With the question, he held Sans at arm's length to get a better look at him. “you  know what paps? yeah. in fact, i feel great even,” Sans said with after a beat of hesitation. “i feel better than i've felt in a while.”

 

Papyrus squinted hard at the skeleton in his outstretched arms. Sans didn't _ seem _ like he was lying. He actually...looked happy. His eye-lights were brighter than normal and- while it was smaller than usual- he had a smile present on his face that actually reached his sockets. So Papyrus believed him. Because, screw it! If Sans was happy he could be happy for him!

 

“I CAN TELL! YOU’RE SO HAPPY THIS MORN- OH MY GOD! IS TODAY YOUR BIRTHDAY SANS?! DON’T TELL ME I’VE FORGOTTEN!” Papyrus was  _ obviously  _ kidding. He knew it wasn’t Sans’s birthday. What kind of a person would he be if he didn’t know when his own brother’s birthday was?! A horrible person that’s what. Sans cocked his brow bone at his brother in a questioning manner, to which Papyrus gave him a wide grin. It then struck Sans that Papyrus was just playing with him and was thrown into a fit of bubbly laughter. After a bit of a moment of reveling in his brother’s joy, Papyrus joined in on it.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS ONCE AGAIN!” Papyrus shouted pridefully. Man, Papyrus really was the coolest.

 

“heh, guess you got me there bro.  you really had me going for a second,” Sans let out a quiet chuckle. He kinda figured Papyrus had been joking around- his brother was too cool to forget things after all. But that still didn’t stop relief from flooding Sans when his brother revealed the jape. Now he knows what it felt like to be on the receiving end on one of his pranks.

 

“uh bro? ‘m gonna need you to put me down now. i gotta get to work and all,” Sans reminded Papyrus. “OH! RIGHT, RIGHT. I GUESS I’LL SEE YOU LATER TONIGHT THEN?” With that Papyrus placed his brother back on his chair. Sans then hopped down and went back upstairs to his room and grabbed his phone from where he left it on his nightstand. While he was up there he figured he might as well pack a bag if he really was going to go through and sleep over at Alphys and Undyne’s. He put a change of clothes and a blanket in a backpack he found on the ground. There are a few stains on it but that’s fine. He then went to the bathroom and put his toothbrush in. ‘that’s probably all i need,’ he thought to himself.

 

Sans headed downstairs- for the second time that morning- and slipped on his iconic pink slippers. With everything he needed for work and later tonight, Sans said a quick goodbye to Papyrus and left, a slight spring in his step that had been missing for decades.

 

Today was gonna be a good day.


	2. Let Me See You Work

It takes about 35 minutes to drive from the west side of Ebott City to the east side. However, most monsters don't have driver's licenses. So they have to walk almost an hour just to go one way. Luckily for Sans, he can teleport.

 

As far as he’s concerned, he’s the only person- monster or human- that can use teleportation. And as far as anyone else knows, no one can use teleportation. Sans has kept his teleporting, or as he thinks of them as ‘shortcuts’, a secret from everyone. They only think of him as just being everywhere at once in a way. Some people have questioned how he manages to do it. Especially in the Underground with how he kept all his jobs.

 

_ “ THREE STATIONS?! How the HECK?!”  _ Undyne questioned it the most. Apparently it was impossible for anyone to be able to get to and from Sans’s stations throughout the Underground as fast as he did. Ah, he remembers the day Undyne found out about his three separate stations fondly. As the head of the Royal Guard, Undyne didn’t have control over the sentries who were hired. She had far more important things to do.

 

But now, on the surface, the days of sentries and Royal Guards were over. He still has a bunch of jobs that should be impossible to maintain, and one could say that some of them were just as dangerous.

 

Sans teleported to the end of an alley that's about a block away from his stand. It's been his designated spot to teleport the whole time he's worked there. For some reason, no matter what time of day it is, the alley is always dark. Don't get him wrong though, it certainly makes travel easy.

 

The entire walk from the alley to his stand- all ten minutes of it- he gets looks of disgust and anger towards him. It doesn't phase him though. If he let glares and snarky comments get to him, he'd have gotten nowhere in life. So he continues on as if unbothered because in truth, he isn't bothered. Even when monsterkind was still imprisoned, some other people gave him odd looks. They never got to him back then either.

 

Sans casually strolled up to his stand, hands in his pockets, a  _ genuine _ smile on his face. There was a bit of a spring in his step this morning because of his good mood. It really had been a while since he had felt this good. There had been the happiness when monsterkind had been freed, but everyone had felt that. This was different. This was his own happiness. And nothing was going to take it.

 

He didn’t need to open his stand just yet. It was still pretty early for hot dogs after all. He figured he’d open in about an hour and a half. Which gave him ample opportunity to take a nice nap. Well, not a nap- he’s not stupid- but he can just sit in the park and relax for a bit, watching everyone else go on with their lives. He always liked these moments of quiet solitude. A moment to himself to just think. Ever since moving to the surface, these had been pretty rare, so the ones he does get nowadays he cherishes.

 

~~~

 

“He WHAT?!”

 

“I KNOW, RIGHT? I WAS JUST AS SHOCKED AS YOU ARE.” After Sans had left, Papyrus immediately called Undyne to tell her about the extra person coming to their sleepover. Obviously Undyne was just as suspicious as Papyrus had been. Even Alphys was curious as to why Sans was coming along. It’s not that they didn’t want him to join, it just was uncharacteristic of him.

 

“Well if the nerd said he was coming I guess he is,” Undyne stated after the moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him breaking a promise to  _ anyone _ .”   
  


“DO YOU GUYS HAVE ENOUGH FOR AN ADDITION TO THE SLUMBER PARTY?! I CAN GET MORE IF YOU NEED IT.” Papyrus inquired. While he wanted nothing more than for his brother to join in on their fun, he didn’t want to burden the ladies in having to buy more supplies.

 

“Nah. Don’t worry about it Papyrus, we’ve got more than enough,” Undyne assured her friend. “Y-yeah,” Alphys chimed in. “We can p-practically f-feed a small army with the am-amount of snacks we-we have.”

 

All three of them laughed at the comment. They all knew it was true. Undyne, passionate as ever, always tended to go a  _ little _ overboard with their sleepovers.

 

“Anyways Papyrus, sorry to cut this chat short, but I gotta head to work now.” 

 

“OH, YES. OF COURSE UNDYNE. DON’T LET ME BE THE REASON YOU ARE TARDY FOR WORK! I SHALL SEE YOU BOTH LATER TODAY THEN! AND WITH SANS TOO!” He said the last part a touch louder, his excitement getting the better of him.

 

“We’re counting on it bonehead,” Undyne replied. 

“See you later!”

“B-bye Papyrus.”

 

With that, they hung up, leaving Papyrus to his morning routine. He got dressed and tidy up the house a bit before heading out to his own job as a barista at the local cafe.

 

He loved his job there. The customers were nice and polite 9 times out of 10 and his boss was even nicer. She was a stout woman with long black hair, her amber skin smooth and dotted with freckles. And she was a strong monster supporter. She was beautiful inside and out to say the least.

 

Papyrus wouldn’t trade working for her for anything. Except maybe getting Sans out of the east side for work.

 

He honestly had no idea what made Sans want to work in such a place. Especially with his incredibly low stats. It was understandable why everyone was so against him working in a place known for its intolerance of monsters. Someone who was even just a little annoyed with him could easily dust him. 

 

But he trusts Sans. If he says he’ll be careful, he’s going to be careful. Sans is just that kind of person. He always kept to his word. It was a commendable trait of his.

 

It was one of the many things that made him so cool in Papyrus’s eyes. 

 

Papyrus shook his head to clear his thoughts. He loved thinking about his brother- and how the former was  _ almost _ as cool as he himself- but now wasn’t the time. He had to get ready for work. Papyrus knew from living with Sans for his whole life that some people needed coffee in order to function in the morning.

 

And he would not disappoint!

 

~~~

 

Papyrus hopped in his ruby red convertible and started on his way to  _ Misty’s Cafe _ . It had been a long, hard battle for monsters to get the right to drive. Even now most monsters didn’t have a license. Whether it be they were too scared or they didn’t have the money to do so.

 

Papyrus was one of the lucky few to get his. It had been his dream- other than joining the Royal Guard- to drive a red sports car. His bed down in the underground- and up here to be honest- was a red race car bed. One of the coolest things he owned.

 

The commute wasn’t really that long, but he enjoyed the drive nonetheless. Papyrus loved being able to use his car more than he could’ve ever imagined. He kept it in good shape. So good that- despite having it for a year and a half now- it still smelled like new car and was just as shiny, if not more, than when he first got it.

 

Papyrus carefully parked his car in his spot reserved for him, and hopped out. When he got in he was greeted by his boss and owner of the cafe. “Hey Papyrus!” she exclaimed upon seeing the tall skeleton monster. That’s one thing he loved about her. How she was also just as optimistic and upbeat as he was. It also made it easier for them to get along. Misty had been one of the first friends Papyrus made on the surface and it was no wonder why.

 

“HELLO MISTY! HOW HAS YOUR MORNING BEEN SO FAR?” 

 

“Fine, how about you? Something seems to have put you in an even better than normal mood.” She chuckled a bit with the last comment. Papyrus was practically in a perpetually good mood but today his smile was just that much wider and his sockets seemed to have faint stars in them. From knowing the skeleton for a few years now, Misty knew that something really good must’ve happened.

 

“OH YES! MY BROTHER SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO JOIN OUR FRIENDS AND I FOR OUR MONTHLY SLEEPOVER FOR THE FIRST TIME!” Papyrus explained. He had told the woman several stories about Sans and how he never joined Papyrus to go to the sleepovers in the past. She had even given him ideas to try and drag the older to them. None of them worked, but it’s the thought that counts.

 

Just like everyone else, but the first thing Misty expressed was shock. After hearing all the failed attempts to get Sans, she thought she’d  _ never _ here a success story. “Holy shit Papyrus,” she started, “you finally managed to get him?!  _ How _ ?!” Well  _ obviously  _ she just  _ had _ to know what could motivate the short skeleton. And what was  _ so _ much better than all of her ideas.

 

“ACTUALLY MISTY, HE JUST DECIDED TO COME ALL BY HIMSELF! WHEN I ASKED HIM THIS MORNING HE SAID YES WITHOUT ME EVEN HAVING TO PULL TEETH...METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING!”

 

That’s when it all fell in place for Misty. “So your brother’s good mood from this morning is ‘boosting’ your usual good mood. Which means you’re in a GREAT mood!” Misty supplied with a giggle.

 

Misty’s giggle caused Papyrus to let out his own unique laugh. “NYEH HEH HEH! PRECISELY!” They continued to laugh for a bit before Papyrus sobered up. 

 

In a quieter tone, he told Misty, “My Brother Has Been Unhappy For A While. He Doesn’t Think That I Notice, But I Do. There Are Some Days Where He Just Looked So Out Of Sorts. I’m Not Saying That He Hasn’t Been Happy At All. I Just Mean It Takes A Lot More To Get A Genuine Smile Out Of Him. He’s Always Smiling But It’s Not Real. I Saw One This Morning. It Was Better Than When I Saw The Sun For The First Is Time.”

 

Misty let him talk without interruption. She knew that there had been something up with Sans. From stories Papyrus has told her, and from knowing the guy herself. To hear it from Papyrus’s mouth though was something else.

 

Not many people gave him enough credit for it- but the guy was perceptive as hell. She knew from the past already however. Some days she’d walk in and feel like human garbage and, as if he knew all her inner struggles, Papyrus would come over and give her one of his patented bone crushing hugs. Always cheers her right up.

 

Seeing as he was done, Misty decided she could add her two cents to the conversation. “I’m glad that he’s starting to open up more now. I’m sure he’s getting better. And even if it’s only for today, it’s something.”

 

At that, Papyrus brightened again. He scooped her up into a hug and spun her around, being mindful of the things in the room of course. The two shared a laugh before Papyrus set down Misty. They still had a shop to open.

 

“Alrighty then,” Misty started. “Let’s get today started huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. :)  
> Criticism is welcome as always.


	3. Mister Bone Man

“Can I have two head dogs Mister?”

 

“only if you think you can handle them. wouldn’t want you to get too a _ head _ of yourself now would we?”

 

The little boy laughed at the pun, used to the short skeleton and his antics. The boy placed a five dollar bill on the cart and waited for his order. He bounced a little in his spot with excitement. Some of his friends who also came to the stand told him to get a head dog. His mom had told him no the first few times he asked but finally she relented.

 

“here you go. two head dogs.” The boy giggled and leaned forward so that his chest and head were over the cart, a wide grin on his face. Sans gave a chuckle of his own and placed the two ‘dogs on the boy’s head.

 

“Thank you Mister!” The boy called out as he went back over to his mother, careful not to drop his lunch. His mother gave a smile and wave to Sans as thanks, to which Sans matched. The duo always came to his stand for lunch. Afterwards, the mother would let her son play in the park the stand was located in. Sans was glad that in the time working at the stand that, not only did he find some good humans, but get regulars who came by almost everyday.

 

Sans watched the boy and his mother for a little bit. The boy- Douglas was his name if Sans remembered correctly- was happily munching on his hot dog while talking about something enthusiastically. It reminded Sans of when Papyrus was younger and would tell him about his day at school.

 

Sans was brought back to reality by a hand slamming down on the cart. He flinched back and looked up to see who the culprit was. His eyes narrowed and his smile became tight when he recognized the human.

 

Richard Todd and his partner in crime, Jack Johnsman, were sneering down at him. The two were infamous for their crimes against monsters. Everything from shouting racial slurs to beating the living daylights out of monsters and monster supporters, they had a reputation. They had never been arrested due to the police having no evidence that they were actually behind the attacks. But everyone knew without a doubt that they were the ones. 

 

A quick glance around the park told Sans that just about everyone in the park were watching the confrontation. Sans shrugged, he wasn’t going to let these two assholes ruin his day.

 

“Hey Bone Man,” Richard barked. He was trying to intimidate Sans. Of course, Sans saw right through the act. He wasn’t the JUDGE underground for nothing.

 

“dick. jackass. nice of you to stop by at my humble stand. what can I get for you?” Sans kept a level tone and smiled throughout his little spiel. Show no fear. If you show weakness to people like them, they’ll use it against you until you’re nothing but dust blowing in the wind. And Sans wasn’t planning on dying just yet.

 

Richard and Jack were taken aback by how laid back and carefree the skeleton in front of them seemed. Did he know who they were? How dangerous they are?!

 

Actually, that’s pretty good.

 

“What the fuck?!” Jack exclaimed. “Do you know who we are? How  _ dangerous _ we are?! Or what we  _ do _ to people like  _ you _ !” Angered by Sans’s lack of a reaction, the two men closed in more on the cart. Sans still gave no response other than, “hey. watch your language. there are  _ children _ here.” He dragged out the word children, knowing full well that the two before him wouldn’t do anything with an audience this young.

 

As of only now realizing the crowd, Jack and Richard looked around. Surprised to see that there were in fact children in the park. ‘idiots,’ Sans thought to himself. As if they heard his thoughts, the two in question turned back around to face him. Hate and disgust evident in their expressions. Along with a touch of ... embarrassment? Heh, that’s gold.

 

“I’d watch my back if were you Bone Man,” Richard spat before turning and leaving with Jack trailing behind.

 

When they were out of his line of sight, Sans let out a small sigh of relief. Stress rolling off his person as he let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Douglas, with his mother in tow, hurried back over to the stand.

 

“Are you alright Mister?” Douglas asked. He looked scared, as if one of his friends had been under threat from the men. He drummed his fingers nervously on the cart. “heh, course kid.” Sans reached out and ruffled his hair in a placating gesture. “you think i'm gonna let two  _ bone _ heads get  _ under my skin _ ?”

 

The joke seemed to have worked and Douglas let out a loud laugh, the shock getting him more than anything.

 

“I see you found that a real  _ rib tickler _ eh?  _ tibia  _ honest, i also find my jokes pretty  _ humerus _ .” Douglas was doubled over laughing now. Not expecting to get hit with so many puns. “Stop, stop,” he cried out over his bubbly laughter. “I can't breathe!”

 

“what are you  _ patella _ -ing me? i thought you liked my jokes.” Sans put a hand to his chest in mock offense. Douglas, meanwhile, was still trying to calm his hysteria. Both Sans and Douglas’s mother chuckled at the sight of the boy’s struggle to reel in his laughter. 

 

When he finally calmed down, Douglas stood up straight and pouted at Sans. “I do like your jokes. Just not when you make me laugh so hard I can’t breathe!” He actually managed to look mad for a whole 5 seconds before he broke out into a huge grin.

 

“glad to see you stopped  _ skull- _ king kid.” Douglas let out a slew of unintelligible sounds at the last pun, thoroughly done with Sans’s jokes for the day. He stormed off towards the playground with a sigh, reminding Sans very much of his brother.

 

“Excuse me.” Sans was surprised to look up and see Douglas’s mother still standing there. He thought she would’ve gone after him for sure.

 

“Forgive me if I’m overstepping a boundary, but are you sure you’re alright? They didn’t hurt you or anything did they?” the woman continued. She was looking over Sans, making sure he didn’t have any injuries on him. He wasn’t used to being looked over like this by anyone except for Papyrus and Toriel really.

 

“heh. i’m fine, really. a few empty threats aren’t gonna get to me. i’ve got  _ thick skin _ after all. but hey, thanks for the concern.” Sans genuinely meant the appreciation towards the woman. It was somewhat unexpected though. The two of them never usually talked. Douglas’s mother preferred to sit on a nearby bench when her son ordered. For her to speak to him- and with worry laced in her tone- was surprising.

 

She gave him another once over and offered a small smile. “Alright then. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and left without another word. She didn’t even let Sans say goodbye in return. Douglas ran up to her as soon as she got close. She told him something and he looked over in Sans’s direction. He gave a big, toothy smile and a wave the pair head on their way to who knows where.

 

Despite the two assholes from before, Sans could still feel his happy mood from before, his soul swelling with love. Sans let out a low chuckle and shook his head. He still had work to do.

 

~~~

The day continued on as usual from there. Sans was relieved to see that there were no further incidents for the remainder of his shift. In all honesty, he thought for sure the delinquents would’ve come back before the was due to go back home. Richard’s threat from earlier still played in his mind.

 

_ ‘I’d watch my back if I were you Bone Man.’ _ It sent a shiver down his spine. He brushed off the thought. He had more important things to think about at the moment.

 

Like what kind of snacks should he bring to the party. Should he even bring snacks? How many people are going to be there, and can he classify this as a party?

 

Lost in his thoughts, Sans walked the familiar path back to the alleyway. He’d walked this path enough times that he could do it while his mind was elsewhere. Which said a lot because all of the alleys in this area looked more or less the same.

 

Back in his thoughts, he wondered how to get his stuff the quickest. He had to stop back at his house to get his bag he packed. He hoped Papyrus wasn’t home. That way he could just teleport to his room and teleport out. Save some time. But of course, that all depended on variables outside of his control.

 

He could call Papyrus to find out...oh.

 

Sans abruptly stopped. He slapped a hand to his face- stars he’s such an idiot. Sans fished his phone out of his pocket. Hitting the speed dial button, Sans turned the corner into the alley. Little did he know, he wasn't alone.

 

“Hey Bone Man,” a shadowy figure at the end of the alley called. Sans jumped, not expecting anyone else to be there. But now that he knew there was, he mentally slapped himself for lack of foresight.  _ ‘of course it’s them.’ _

 

When he looked up, he was faced with none other than Richard Todd. Leaning casually against a wall of one of the surrounding buildings, looking like he owned the world. Sans tried not to gag. This was just his luck. He can’t  _ believe  _ he let this happen. If he had just paid attention when he was walking he could’ve avoided this.

 

He started backing up with hands up, only grabbed from behind. ‘ _ you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.’ _ He was trapped, with Jack holding onto him teleporting would be useless. 

 

As if to make matters worse, Papyrus hadn’t answered his phone, leaving Sans all alone. A low, humorless chuckle escaped Sans.

 

“welp, guess i’m boned huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was at that moment Sans knew; He fucked up.


	4. Where's The Party At

Sans let out a low expletive, cursing whatever higher powers there were for doing this to him. Richard sauntered over to Sans and Jack coolly, his hands behind his back and a sinister smirk on his face. He stopped in front of the two and with one hand roughly pulled Sans’s phone from his hands and threw it into the alley.

 

He scanned Sans up and down while reaching into his pocket. “Oh, we're gonna have fun with you,” he said as he pulled out a syringe with a strange white liquid. Before Sans could even register what was happening, the syringe was stabbed in his collarbone. Instantly, his head started to get fuzzy and his focus started to slip. If Jack wasn’t holding onto him, he’s sure he would’ve fallen over. 

 

From behind his back, Richard pulled out a black felt bag and placed it on Sans's head. Sans tried to call out for help but his throat felt scratchy as though he hadn’t used it in days. One of the men picked up the small skeleton and the two of them began to walk. 

 

Sans tried in vain to wiggle his way out of the hold. He only managed to wiggle a little bit out of the grip before whoever was holding him threw him into a car face first. 

 

He grunted in pain and shock as he tried to sit upright. However, the drug was making it really hard for him to focus and his body wasn’t responding to him all that much. He barely registered someone tying his hands and feet up with rope. 

 

The world around him started to fall away as he heard the men get into the front seats. He faintly acknowledged the fact that he wasn’t buckled to the seat and that he could easily fall off of it. Sans whimpered rather uncharacteristically as the world fell black. 

 

~~~

 

When Sans woke up, he was in a small room that, oddly, reminded him of the shed he and his brother had in the Underground. The room was mostly empty- only having a table and a few chairs. He could see a door directly across the room from him. 

 

As he looked around, he felt an unfamiliar weight on his neck. He couldn’t see what it was, but for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling that this,  _ thing _ , was the complete opposite of good. Sans tried to bring his hands up to feel at it, when he was made aware of the fact that he couldn’t really move his arms. Or legs for that matter. 

 

He started struggling to get his limbs free when the door opened. In walked Richard and Jack, Sans’s new least favourite people. “Well, well, well,” Richard drawled as he and his partner approached. “Look who finally woke up.” He looked down at Sans with a sneer. 

 

Sans gave him an equally intense look before relaxing and leaning into the chair. He closed one eye in a lazy wink. “welp, it's been real you two. but i’ve got more important things to do than hang out with the likes of you,” Sans said coolly. Sans closed both eye sockets and focused on his magic. He started to gather magic to shortcut when he felt a dull ache in his chest. Thinking nothing of it, Sans continued. 

 

Until a sharp pain wracked through his whole body. Sans keeled over as the pain continued to course through him. It hurt most in his SOUL and left eye socket- where his magic is mostly drawn towards for teleporting. 

 

Once the pain finally subsided, he tried reaching for his magic again only for it to not respond. He kept reaching for it, but every time he felt like he almost had a grip on it, it would inch further and further away. Never in his life had Sans seen a device that was able to prevent a monster from accessing their magic. He looked back up at the men, truly looking at who he was dealing with. Either they had friends in high places, or Sans was dealing with more than just your average assholes. He wasn’t sure which would be the better option.

 

Richard grinned wickedly at Sans. He reached out to Sans and placed a hand on the device around his neck. “Hurts like hell right? Guess you know now, you can’t use your magic. We were going to tell you, but I’m glad I got to watch you figure it out the hard way.” Sans gave him a disgusted look. “what do you want from me?” Sans practically whined.

 

Jack let out a snort as Richard stood up straight again. “Isn’t it obvious?” Jack said mockingly. “To teach you  _ freaks _ a lesson. We don’t want your kind here. And we’ll do whatever it takes to get that point across.” With that, the two left Sans. As they left, Sans saw a glimpse of the outside world, and watched as he was cut off from anything not in the room. Hopelessness threatened to overcome him as reality set in.

 

He was trapped- probably in the middle of nowhere- with no form of communication or escaping with two of the most infamous monster-haters. He had  _ no clue _ what they meant when they said they were going to use him as an ‘example’, but he did  _ not _ like the sound of it one bit.

 

~~~

 

Sans doesn’t know how long he was in the room before Jack and Richard came back. It could’ve minutes, hours,  _ days _ . Time in that room felt like it flew by yet it also felt like it moved  _ entirely  _ too slow. Sans is sure that he would’ve fallen asleep by now if it were any other circumstance, but nerves and anxiety were keeping him up right now. In any other case, he’d find it ironic how someone with no nerves managed to feel this jumpy about anything. Again, right now wasn’t one of those circumstances.

 

He spent most of the time trying to find ways to get himself out of the rope binds, but nothing he thought of did any good. If he was able to use his magic, he could summon a sharp bone and cut the rope. But then again, if he could use his magic, he wouldn’t even be here anymore. He would’ve shortcuted home and had Papyrus untie him.

 

_ Papyrus _ .

 

Sans knew for a  _ fact _ that Papyrus would be worried sick right now. He was probably running around crazy and calling Sans’s phone. Sans sighed and slumped as much as he could into the chair. 

 

With his magic blocked by the device, some of his normal functions weren’t acting as they usually did. For starters, his left eyelight had dimmed considerably while his right one had completely gone out. Being a skeleton, he was more attuned and reliant to his magic than a fleshier monster would be. It’s why skeletons have so much control over their magic and why they can start using it at younger ages than most monsters. 

 

Sans had been trying for the last, God knows how long, trying to reignite his right eye with no luck. To be honest with himself,  he was scared. He has a giant blind spot on his right side, his vision was in his left eye was greatly impaired, he had  _ no way _ to defend himself  _ or _ communicate with anyone and he wasn’t sure what his captors had in store for him. 

 

As if reading his mind, the door across the room opened. Jack was carrying a beat up duffel bag. The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard whenever the bag moved. They approached Sans, placing the bag on the table when they passed it. 

 

A shiver ran down Sans’s spine. He knew without a doubt that this was  _ not _ going to be a fun experience for him. 

 

Jack unzipped the bag and pulled out a scalpel with a blade that without a doubt could cut through bone. Sans watched with trepidation as he pulled out several more tools that looked just as sharp. Sans’s eyelight guttered out as fear began to take over him. 

 

“Don’t worry. This won’t hurt  _ us _ at all.” Grabbing one of the knives, Richard said, “But this will hurt you more than you can imagine.” He harshly stabbed the knife completely through Sans’s femur. Sans let out a long cry of pain as Richard started to move the knife inside of him. 

 

He twisted it and moved it from side to side, slowly splitting apart the bone. Sans was in _agony_. The sickening crunch of bone breaking filled the room as Sans’s pain reached a crescendo. He couldn’t breathe, black edging his vision. 

 

Richard took the knife out of Sans’s leg, but he didn’t feel it. A red, liquidy substance dripped from Sans’s leg and the blade. A puddle of it had formed underneath the chair Sans was on. 

 

The two men shared questioning looks. Richard nodded his head in Sans’s direction. Jack looked taken aback but after a stern look from Richard, he sighed in resignation. 

 

He cautiously made his way towards the skeleton. He stuck a finger in the liquid slowly and brought it to his face. Jack sniffed the substance with a grimace and quickly pulled his hand away after a second. He gave Sans a stunned look. “What the fuck?!” He practically screeched. Richard rolled his eyes. “It’s blood! The fucking _freak_ _bleeds_!” Richard gave Sans an incredulous look. “Really now?” He crouched down to be eye level with Sans. “You sure are one of a kind, huh Bone Man?”

 

Sans swayed slightly. His HP was only a fraction of it’s base. His eyelids started drooping and his head felt too heavy to keep upright. Richard slapped the side of Sans’s face a few times to wake him up. “Don’t go to sleep just yet. We’re not even  _ close _ to being done.”

 

Sans vaguely looked in Richard’s direction and felt himself being CHECKed. “No wonder he looks like he’s about to pass out,” Jack started. “I guess we are done for now.” Richard snorted. “He’s fine,” he said with finality. He quickly slashed the knife across Sans’s sternum.

 

The world was fading away. Numbness filled his skull and he felt his body slowly start to crumble to dust.  _ ‘this is it,’ _ he thought. Blood dripped from the wound in his chest. He was in more pain than he’d ever felt in his life, yet he also felt nothing.

 

The last thing he heard was Richard. “This isn’t the end yet Bone Man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter didn't make the most sense. I had it one way for sooo long, but then the day before I posted chapter three I was like, "Huh. That wouldn't really, make sense." So I scraped everything and this was the result.
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome as always.


	5. Who's Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost forgot it was Tuesday

“Is that the best you got?!” Undyne called teasingly from one side of the yard. Papyrus burst into a wide toothy smile, his eyes narrowing in concentration. A long femur materialized in his hand. He got into a power stance before sprinting at his friend. Undyne smirked and summoned her own weapons- two electric blue spears. She planted her feet firmly in the ground, waiting for Papyrus to get close to strike. What she hadn’t planned for was the volley of bones that came at her from all angles.

 

“Now  _ this _ is what I’m  _ TALKING ABOUT! _ ” Undyne shouted. She started swinging her spears back and forth, taking out as many bones as she could. She had only managed to destroy a few waves of the bones before Papyrus had gotten to her. He leapt over the rest of the bones in between the two, landing directly behind her. He lunged at her as she was turning around to face him. She was about to swing a spear at him, when a bone hit her in the back and turned her SOUL blue.

 

Undyne felt gravity shift for her and she collapsed into a pile on the ground. Papyrus landed right in front of her, a bone outstretched to Undyne’s chest. “NYEH HEH HEH HEH! ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE BEEN BESTED BY THE  _ GREAT PAPYRUS _ !”

 

Undyne rolled her eyes and gave her friend a mischievous grin. Before Papyrus could even register what was happening, spears materialized all around him and came right for him. He dodged most of them, but all it takes is one hit and his SOUL is turned green. The two friends stared at each other, both unable to move due to the magic being used on them. All at once, all of the attacks were dispelled and they both released their grip on the other.

 

Undyne hopped up and walked over to Papyrus. She then promptly grabbed him in a headlock and started to noogie him. Flustered, Papyrus made several indignant noises. “PLEASE DO NOT NOOGIE THE SKELETON!” Undyne laughed and let him go. He straightened up and they walked back to the house.

 

They spotted Alphys sitting on the back porch with her nose in one of her mangas. Despite the focused look on her face now, they knew she had been watching them spar. She just liked watching her girlfriend be a badass  _ okay _ ?

 

“Hey babe,” Undyne said as they got to the porch. The scales on Alphys’s face flushed a bright pink colour at the pet name. She still hadn’t gotten used to all the affection that came with being in a relationship even after dating Undyne for a good three years now. The small reptile giggled softly and pulled her manga up to cover her face more.

 

Together, the three friends made their way into the house to set up for their sleepover.

 

~~~

 

“Alright the pizza will be here in about 30 minutes,” Undyne stated happily. Until then they could munch on some of the snacks that Alphys had put out for them. Alphys made a noise of acknowledgement as she left the room to get some drinks. Undyne sat down on the loveseat with a huff.

 

Papyrus wasn’t really paying attention, instead he was focused on the large collection of flicks they had to watch. “Hey Papyrus. Where’s Sans?” Undyne said from her spot. Papyrus flinched, not expecting to have been called out to. He looked at the clock.

 

6:43pm. He hummed in affirmation and turned to Undyne. “HE’S PROBABLY JUST GETTING OFF FROM WORK NOW.” Undyne gave him a look that was something in between anger and impatient. She let out a huff and crossed her arms. She mumbled something under her breath, but Papyrus paid no mind to her behavior. He went back to looking for a movie when his phone rang. “THAT’S PROBABLY HIM NOW.”

 

Papyrus got up, a smile on his face. It dropped a little when he thought about how Sans could be calling to cancel in them. But he wouldn’t. He had promised Papyrus and he had been in such a good mood that morning.

 

Papyrus went to grab his phone only to realize it wasn’t where he had left it earlier. He turned to Undyne. “DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY PHONE IS UNDYNE?” She quirked a brow at him before it furrowed in thought. “Is it in the-”

 

“Y-your phone’s ri-ringing,” Alphys said as she walked in with the device and three glasses of lemonade. Papyrus rushed over to her to help with the drinks and to see who was calling. Unfortunately, he didn’t get it in the time. The person hung up without leaving a message. Papyrus looked at his recent calls.

 

_ Missed Calls _

_ sans. - 6:45pm _

 

Papyrus immediately called him back. What if something was wrong? He held the phone up to his skull and waited. The phone rang a few times and then went to voicemail. He took the phone away from where his ear would be and dialed Sans again. Just like before there was no answer. He pulled the phone down and looked at it with concern written on his face.

 

It wouldn’t make sense that Sans was just ignoring him. He had just called Papyrus. And he has his phone so it’s not like no one can hear it ringing. The more Papyrus thought about why Sans wasn’t answering, the more he felt worry grip at his soul. His concern must’ve been reflected on his face because he felt Undyne put hand on his shoulder.

 

He looked to see her looking at him with a soft expression. Behind her, he could see Alphys fidgeting with her claws nervously. Surprisingly, Alphys was the one to speak up. “I-is e-everyth-thing a-alright Pa-Papyrus?” Her stuttering was worse with her nervousness. Papyrus was about to reassure her and say that everything was fine, but he knew that wouldn’t help anyone.

 

“I...I Don’t Know,” he admitted in a subdued voice. He looked back at the phone clutched tightly in his hands.  _ ‘But I Hope So,’  _ he thought to himself.

 

~~~

 

An hour and a half passed and there was still no word from Sans. Papyrus had hoped that he would just appear at the house with a funny story as to what happened to his phone and why he couldn’t answer. But he never came. Papyrus paced the living room. He couldn’t sit still, his mind was moving at a mile a minute.

 

 _‘What If Something Bad Happened To Sans?’_ _‘What If He’s Somewhere And He’s Hurt?’_ Papyrus’s thoughts were all along the same track. He didn’t want to think about it, but his mind kept wandering to the worst case.

 

_ ‘What If He’s Hurt?’ _

 

He shook the thought from his head. Negative thoughts wouldn’t help anyone. He tried to focus on other things. Looking around the room, Papyrus saw Alphys in the loveseat tapping frantically on her phone. He had no idea what she was doing, but he decided not to bother her.

 

He could hear Undyne’s muffled voice from through the wall in between the living room and the kitchen. She had been in there for the past 20 minutes making phone calls to several different people. She was talking in a voice low enough that he couldn’t make out what was being said but he could only assume that it was about Sans.

 

Papyrus sighed in defeat, causing Alphys to look up at him. She put her phone down and walked over to him. She placed a clawed hand on one of his arms in a comforting gesture. “I-I’m sure S-Sans i-is f-fine,” she said. Papyrus wasn’t sure who she was trying to calm down more- herself or him. He gave her a small smile as thanks anyway.

 

Two hard knocks sounded from the front door. The two monsters in the living room looked at it in confusion. Papyrus then lit up like a Christmas tree. He knew Sans would be okay! He ran over to the door and threw it open. “SANS! I KNEW YOU-”

 

He looked at the monster standing in front of him. They gave him a small apologetic smile. Papyrus deflated, tears forming in the corner of his eye sockets. Toriel reached out to him with both arms, pulling him into a tight embrace. It took all his will not to give in and sob into the boss monster’s arms.

 

“It is alright my friend.  We will find him I am sure of it.” Her words did little to alleviate his turmoil. A silent tear rolled down his cheekbone and landed quietly on the ground. Papyrus held onto Toriel as if she was the only thing that was keeping him drifting away in a sea of negativity.

 

After a few more moments, Papyrus released Toriel and let her into the house. She greeted Undyne and Alphys somberly and they returned it with their own. Toriel sat on one of the couches and the couple sat back down on the loveseat. Papyrus remained standing.

 

Toriel was the first one to break the silence. “So nobody has heard from him yet?” The three who had been there originally all shook their heads no. She didn’t let their response stop her though, there was more she needed to know before they did anything from that point. She turned to face Papyrus more. The sight of the normally exuberant skeleton so out of it made her magic twist inside her.

 

“Do you know where Sans works?” she asked. Papyrus nodded his yes but before he could tell her the address, his cell phone started ringing. He fished it out of his pocket, hope filling up his soul. When he saw the caller ID his eye sockets lit up and a wide disbelieving smile stretched across his face.

 

“IT’S SANS!” The two word phrase had everyone in the room on their feet and surrounding Papyrus’s phone. He quickly answered the call and put his phone up to his skull. “SANS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WE’VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU.”

 

Everyone waited anxiously for the response. However, the voice that spoke was not the one they were hoping for. “Uhm I’m sorry, but this is Sans’s friend Papyrus right?” Papyrus’s face fell as he responded. “I’m Actually His Brother, But Yes. This Is Him.” The fact that someone other than Sans had his phone didn’t sit well with the monsters in the room.

 

“My apologies,” the voice continued. “My name is Evelyn Cooper. I’m a regular at his stand in the park. Anyway, I- I found his phone in an alley and I...I think something happened to him. I haven’t called the police yet but...” she trailed off. 

 

Papyrus heard Alphys gasp next to him. Undyne’s hands clenched into tight fists and Toriel ran to the kitchen, presumably to call the police herself. But Papyrus didn’t care about what was happening around him. All that mattered right now was finding his brother as soon as possible.

 

“Where Are You Sans?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who’s left kudos and comments on here in the previous chapters! 
> 
> Criticism is welcome as always as long as it’s constructive.


	6. Give Him A Break

Sans lethargically started to gather his magic. He kept pushing even as he felt the telltale buzz of the magic blocker getting ready to shock him. Even as the device released a painful shock, he kept pushing. He only stopped when he heard a tear and a new pain erupted in his chest.

 

He let out as much of an agonized scream as he could muster, his voice having gone hoarse several attempts ago. Sans let out short, choked breaths. He instantly knew what had happened. 

 

From the agony in his chest and the loud tearing, Sans knew that he had fractured his SOUL. The pressure from his magic must’ve been too much for the organ and caused it to burst. 

 

Sans willed his SOUL to come out before him. There were several small cracks littering the edge of the SOUL but some had been from long before. The new one was a long gash in the middle of the organ. It was deep and had some cracks webbing from it. It looked just as painful as it felt. 

 

He gave himself a CHECK and his breath hitched. His base health was now  _ half _ of what it had been before. He’s sure that his magic reserves had suffered a similar fate. Raspy breaths echoed in the otherwise silent room as Sans returned the organ safely behind his rib cage. 

 

Sans’s mind was running a mile a minute. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew he wasn’t making out alive. And if he did, nothing would ever be the same. 

 

He heard footsteps approach the door. His metaphorical heart sank as the door opened and Richard and Jack walked in. Of all the times they could’ve come to torment him it just  _ had _ to be now. The two were talking quietly with each other as they continued in Sans’s direction. 

 

Once they got within three feet of the monster, their conversation ended. Whether or not there was more to. Richard gave him a sickeningly sweet grin. “And how’s our little friend doing, hmm? You haven’t turned to a pile of dust so it seems like you’re ready for round two.”

 

Without warning, Jack injected Sans with...something. He knew it wasn’t the same as what they had drugged him with when they first abducted him. He honestly doesn’t know whether or not that’s a good or bad thing. Nothing seemed to be happening so it definitely wasn’t it. The effects of that one were almost instant. A few more minutes passed and still nothing happened.

 

Ready to gloat about being unaffected by their mysterious drug, Sans started, “uh, i hate to break it to you guys but i don’t think-”

 

He really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut. White hot pain shot through his body. It started at the same time in every part of him despite only being injected in his neck. Even though it didn’t hurt nearly as much as fracturing his SOUL, the fact that it lasted for so long made it almost as bad. By the time it was over, drool was dripping from his mouth and his body twitched involuntarily.

 

After the fact, he felt like he had just run a marathon through Hotland while also feeling like he was dunked in Snowdin’s river. He felt heavy, as though his bones were turned to lead. He felt completely drained of magic and energy. He had never felt so  _ exhausted _ in all his life.

 

“Feeling alright there Bone Man?” Jack taunts. Sans doesn’t even have enough strength to glower at him. Instead, he just leans his head onto the back of the chair and focuses on his breathing. He lets his eye sockets close. He only realizes his mistake once it’s too late.

 

Sans gasped as he felt something stick in between his broken femur. If he was being honest, when he wasn’t looking at it, he could block out the fact that his leg was broken. It had been a while since he last so it so he had completely forgotten about it by now. It wasn’t really that hard, he couldn’t feel it after all.

 

His breathing started to get louder as he felt whatever was in his leg  _ move _ . He chanced a glance down and felt like he was going to vomit.

 

Sans had never been the most squeamish of monster, it usually took a lot to make him uncomfortable. But seeing Richards finger wriggling around in the bloody mess that was his femur made something stur wildly within Sans. Richard extracted his finger from Sans’s leg and examined it. The blood on it was a dark maroon instead of the bright red from when it first happened. It had a thick consistency that was more like honey than blood. Sans felt lightheaded just looking at it.

 

Richard looked up at Sans and smirked. He wiped his finger off on the front of Sans’s shirt and turned to Jack. “So. What do you wanna do today?” The two shared a knowing look and went over to the table with the tools on it. Sans’s SOUL started beating rapidly in his chest. 

 

Jack grabbed something that looked similar to a small gavel while Richard grabbed another blade. This one was longer than the one from the other time, but it was a good deal thicker.

 

Sans knew. This was the end of him. There was no doubting it. His HP was even lower than the already abysmal number it had been and he had barely survived that one. Fear gripped at Sans’s soul, and, he let it. It wouldn’t matter in a moment anyway.

 

Jack approached him first. He stood to the left side of Sans. He gave him a long look. His expression changed to something softer- almost empathetic-  and Sans thought he wasn’t going to do anything. Just as Sans was starting to get his hopes up, Jack brought the gavel high above his head and smashed it down on Sans’s hand. The bones shattered easily under the impact. Bone shards flew in every direction and turned to dust. Pain shot up Sans’s arm as a bone chilling scream escaped him.

 

The rest of Sans’s hand was a mess of blood, dust, and bone fragments. It barely resembled a hand anymore. He had never seen anything look so mangled. Sans whimpered softly at the sight. Richard let out a long whistle and Sans looked up at him. While Sans was looking at Richard, Jack made his way over to Sans’s other side. He hesitated a moment before shattering the other hand.

 

Sans reeled back in pain. It somehow hurt  _ more _ than the other hand. He was trembling but...he wasn’t dead? He thought for sure that he should’ve died after the first break. But for him to not be dusted after having  _ both _ hands  _ shattered _ . Sans was shocked to be quite frank.

 

“What’s with the shocked face?” Richard was standing directly in front of Sans now with an indifferent look. He scanned Sans’s face carefully and his eyes flashed in recognition. “Did you really think that was gonna kill you? It’s not gonna be that easy to get out of this. And besides, how are we supposed to make an example of you if you’re dead.” The way he said it was as casual as one would talk about the weather and did little to put Sans’s conscious at ease.

 

“Can’t you see? You won’t die. Not if we have anything to say about it.” With that, he pulled Sans’s SOUL out into the open. The skeleton watched as both men’s gazes landed on the new crack. Jack flinched a little at the sight but Richard’s expression remained controlled. “What did you do to yourself you little shit?” Richard all but growled. Sans could feel Richard’s anger fill the room now that the organ was out. It was raw and powerful and all encompassing. Sans shuddered. As if realizing the effect his emotions had on his charge, Richard calmed himself. The anger in the room lessened and Sans felt like he could breathe once again.

 

“Guess we’ll have to be more careful from here on out,” Richard muttered under his breath. “But hey, your current HP hasn’t been touched.” Sans looked, and sure enough, his HP hadn’t dropped since he first got abducted. “It’s all about intent,” Jack called as he crossed back over to the table.

 

Taking that as his cue, Richard put Sans’s SOUL back and gripped his blade fractionally tighter. He gave Sans what he figures was supposed to be an apologetic smile. He released a deep sigh and put the tip of the blade on Sans’s humerus. Slowly putting pressure on the knife until it pierced the bone, Richard dragged it all the way down the bone until he reached the joint that connected to his ulna and radius. It was the least amount of pain inflicted on Sans from the whole experience so far and Sans couldn’t tell if that was good or bad. On one hand, they could actually be going easy on him because of his lowered health. But on the other, it could mean the worst has yet to come.

 

Sans held his breath as he waited. Richard started making slow, meticulous cuts across the long laceration. Once satisfied with the amount of gashes he had made, Richard walked back over to the table. He grabbed a flat, thin strip of metal. The marrow in Sans’s bones chilled. This wasn’t over yet- far from it as things would seem.

 

Richard wedged the metal in one of the wounds and started to pry at it as though it was a locked chest. The sound of bone separating was one of the most nauseating noises either men had heard. He continued to apply pressure until just before Sans feared the bone would completely snap off. Blood gushed all down his arm, adding to the puddle of blood under him from his ruined hand.

 

“I say we’ve done enough damage for now. See you later, Bone Man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So about Sans's HP.
> 
> I don't really head canon an exact number for his health, but it's something under 10. Not quite 1 though. I like the idea of it being at 5. But I guess it's now at a solid 2.5 after fracturing his SOUL. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ oops.
> 
> Thanks for reading this chapter! Criticism welcome as always as long as it's constructive!!


	7. Take A Breath

Papyrus stood solemnly outside of Sans’s bedroom. Papyrus rarely ever entered the room, he respected his brother’s privacy afterall. Even in the Underground he left Sans to his own devices. The room was locked more often than not anyway so it’s not like he could’ve gone in even if he wanted. 

 

Now that they were on the surface, Sans left his room unlocked more. Papyrus doesn't know what changed- maybe the change of scenery? It didn’t really matter all that much. 

 

Papyrus rapped his gloved knuckles on the wood door. There was no reply, but he hadn’t really been expecting one in the first place. He slowly turned the door knob as far as it could go in the hopes of preparing himself for the sight that he would see. The door creaked open halfway before Papyrus let go. 

 

The state of Sans’s room was always a sight to behold. Socks were piled high on top of Sans’s dresser in one corner of the room. His bed was unmade, but that was no surprise. A plate that had spaghetti on it sat relatively untouched on Sans’s desk. Papers littered the floor, some with Sans’s handwriting and others that were completely blank.  It looked exactly as it had the other three times he had gone in today. 

 

Without its usual occupant in it, the room felt cold and empty. While he hadn’t been expecting Sans to be in his room, Papyrus couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Letting out a dejected sigh, Papyrus closed the door and turned away from the room. He went downstairs with his head hung low. Papyrus dropped onto the living room couch and pulled out his phone. 

 

There were a few missed calls from Undyne, Asgore and Toriel. He even had a few text messages from Frisk. Papyrus turned off his phone without replying to anyone. He rested his elbows on his knees and covered his face. His breath hitched and he felt tears gathering in his eye sockets. Normally Papyrus would refuse to let himself cry. But right now, with his brother- his only  _ real family _ \- missing, Papyrus let his tears flow freely. 

 

Over the three years that Monsters have been on the surface, there have been many disappearances of Monsters and monster supporters alike. Most cases, they weren’t heard from for  _ months _ later. And when they were, they would be on the brink of death. They usually were never the same even after the recovery, some being permanently handdicapped. 

 

It was impossible not to imagine Sans had met the same unfortunate fate as them. Papyrus’s shoulders shook as he sobbed loudly into his hands. 

 

Despite how hard he fought it, Papyrus found himself feeling completely hopeless. Sans had always been a- quote on quote- weak monster. His base HP was incredibly low, as well as his other stats. People used to always say it was a miracle he was still alive. But Sans had strong magic to make up for his other poor stats. And if his attacks failed, he could always dodge or teleport away. The fact that Sans had somehow been able to get himself in a situation where he wasn’t fast enough to teleport away  _ terrified _ Papyrus. 

 

Unable to sit still any longer, Papyrus wiped away his tears and stood up. He needed to get out of the house. He was given time off from work for the time being so that left him with a lot of free time during the day. Most all of it was used to look for Sans, but he still had a lot more downtime than he usually would during the day. Papyrus sniffled and looked around the room in search of something to keep him occupied. 

 

A knock on the door had him quickly glancing in the direction of the front of his home. He stared at it for a little while, getting lost in his thoughts. Another knock and he snapped out of his stupor. 

 

“I’m Coming,” he called as he made his way across the room in a few deft lunges. He opened the door without his normal gusto and looked at whoever was on his doorstep. 

 

Frisk and Toriel stood on his porch. Toriel with a pie and Frisk...well Frisk had an overstuffed backpack. Stuffed with what, Papyrus couldn’t begin to guess. “Oh. Hello Miss Toriel. Frisk. What Brings You Two To My Humble Abode?” Papyrus almost cringed at how unenthused he sounded. Apparently the other two heard it as well because Toriel gave him a concerned but understanding look and Frisk gave him what was probably meant to be an encouraging smile. 

 

“May we come in?” Toriel asked quietly. Papyrus stepped to the side of the door and made a motion with his hand. “Please,” he said dully. 

 

The two made their way inside as Papyrus shut the door behind them. He took the pie from Toriel and brought it to the kitchen. With it in his hands, the scent wafted up to his nasal cavity. Butterscotch cinnamon. He placed it on the counter for later and returned to the living room. 

 

Toriel was sitting on the couch with Frisk in her lap when he returned. “Would you two like anything to drink?” They both shook their heads no. “No thank you. We’re both fine.” Papyrus gave a short nod and sat down on Toriel’s right. Normally he would berate him for being such a dull host but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now. 

 

Frisk got up and opened their backpack. A few loose papers fell out along with pens, pencils and crayons. They pulled out a thick book with the word ‘Sudoku’ in big block letters. They walked it over to Papyrus with a pencil. 

 

Papyrus looked up at them with an incredulous look. “ _ I brought you puzzles to cheer you up _ ,” Frisk signed. They plopped themselves in between Toriel and Papyrus and opened the book to an unsolved game. Papyrus found himself at a loss for words. He looked up at Toriel and found her looking back at him with a gentle smile. A small smile worked its way onto his face and he looked back to Frisk and the book. They had already started filling in some of the boxes as he joined. 

 

~~~

 

Frisk and Papyrus worked on the book diligently. In two hours they had completely finished the book. Toriel had gone into the kitchen after the first half hour and brought snacks out for them while they worked. She sat in one of the armchairs and read a book as the two continued working on puzzles, occasionally munching on one of the snacks she put out.

 

Once they finished the Sudoku book, Frisk and Papyrus moved on to a newspaper Frisk had brought over. They worked uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. After another hour filled with word searches and junior jumble, Toriel went back into the kitchen to prepare dinner. As soon as he heard the telltale sounds of pots and pans banging, Papyrus got up to investigate. 

 

“You Don’t Have To Do That Miss Toriel. If You Were Hungry You Could Have Just Told Me And I Would Have Made Dinner For The Three Of Us. It Is My Job As Host After All.” Papyrus felt like the worst host in the world. He looked to the tiled floor as he mentally berated himself for not being a better host. A gentle but firm paw on his shoulder caused him to flinch and come out of his thoughts. “It is alright dear,” Toriel said soothingly. “I wanted to do this. I know you must be taking Sans’s disappearance very hard. It is the least I could do for you.”

 

Tears welled in Papyrus’s eye sockets as he nodded. Toriel wrapped her arms around the skeleton in a tight embrace. He returned the hug just as tight. They held each other close for a few moments before Papyrus’s phone rang.

 

Frisk ran into the room, phone in hand. They signed wildly with their free hand. “ _ It’s the police _ .” Papyrus took the phone from them and stared at it for a moment. Just when they thought the skeleton was going to let the call go to voicemail, he answered the phone and put it to where his ear would be if he were a fleshier monster. Without waiting for Papyrus to say anything, the officer on the line spoke. 

 

_ “We think we know where to find your brother.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh. This chapter I didn't really know what kind of dialogue to put in this chapter so sorry for the lack of it. Next chapter though. Probably gonna be intense? maybe
> 
> Thank you everyone for the support so far! Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys soon


	8. Sound Of The Police

Toriel pulled up to the police station where Papyrus was already waiting. She had no clue as to how he got there so fast unless he was well above the legal driving speed. Frisk and Toriel got out quickly and joined the tall skeleton by his car. He had a resolved look on his face, yet his body seemed tense. Toriel chose not to bring attention to it as the three of them continued into the building.

 

Inside, officers bustled about or were sitting at desks working on mountains of paperwork. To the left, a door led to an interrogation room. There were two officers inside currently talking to a man in handcuffs. Based on the expressions of the people inside, Toriel guesses that he was being uncooperative. One of the officers came out and made a beeline for the break room. “The poor soul,” Toriel said softly. 

 

“Yeah, they’ve been in there a good hour or so and he hasn’t said a said a single word.” Toriel startled as a tall woman walked over to the group. She had shoulder-length auburn hair that was pulled back into a messy bun and a face peppered sporadically with freckles. The woman gave an apologetic look noticing Toriel’s reaction to her sudden presence. Frisk gave her a tentative wave while Toriel and Papyrus turned to give her their full attention. 

 

“Ah, Officer Joanne. It is a pleasure to see you again,” Toriel said after getting over her shock. Officer Joanne gave a quick nod and replied, “The pleasure’s all mine.” She then motioned for them to follow her to one of the backrooms. Inside was a metal table with four chairs. There were two other officers already standing in opposite corners of the room while the police chief sat at the head of the table farthest from the door.

 

Papyrus nervously fidgeted with his hands as he sat down at the table and Toriel sat to his left with Frisk in her lap. Joanne left the room shortly after everyone was situated. The chief cleared his throat and shuffled a pile of paper in front of him. All eyes were on him as he started to lie the files out on the table. “I’m sure you know why we called you over?” he asked. Toriel looked to Papyrus who took a breath to calm himself before speaking. “Y-Yes. We Were Told That You Know Where My Brother Is?” the man gave a solemn nod and passed a stained piece of paper over to Papyrus. His eyes widened as his eyelights scanned the words.

 

_ ‘I heard you’re looking for a man made of bone. _

_ But why do you care, he isn’t one of your own. _

_ His time is limited so read carefully, _

_ He resides where animals roam free. _

_ The building stands forgotten. _

_ It stands by a cave that housed creatures so rotten. _

_ You’ve got 7 hours to figure this out. _

_ So when you search, make sure there’s no doubt. _

_ Let it be known that this was an example, _

_ For what is to come, he is merely a sample. _

_ We won’t be there when you are, _

_ But just know that we won’t be far. _

_ This isn’t the last you will hear of us _

_ We will cover this world in a blanket of dust.’ _

 

Papyrus felt his bones rattle slightly at the last part. He handed the paper over to Toriel who made sure to keep it away from Frisk’s prying eyes. Once she finished reading, she passed it back over to the police chief and he put it back into his pile. He cleared his throat before saying, “This letter was found around 3 hours ago outside of the station. We have no idea how long it had been out there before we found it, but we don’t think it was too long. There is a team that has been working on figuring out where they are talking about and we’ve narrowed it down to a few places.” He paused for a moment while he took out a map of the woods by Mt. Ebott. 

 

“We think that they were talking about one of the houses in the forest over there. It would’ve been easy except that so many people had abandoned houses up there after hearing about the legends around the mountain. There are a few that we have pretty solid evidence as to which it is, but we can’t be sure. We would send teams out to each location, but there are too many and we can’t be spending all of our man power on this one case.” Papyrus’s eye sockets narrowed at the explanation. His mouth dipped into his frown at the thought. He knew that it was reasonable to not send everyone for one case, but that didn’t mean that he liked it. He just wanted his brother home safe and sound already.

 

The two monsters in the room nodded their heads as they looked over the map. They examined every detail and the notes about each house to see if they could figure out which one Sans was in. Everyone became frustrated at the lack of progress as time moved entirely to fast. They were about to give up when Frisk tugged at Toriel’s sleeve.

 

Without a doubt, they had been the most frustrated when looking over the map. They hadn’t said why, instead looking over the map several times as though something would magically appear if they looked hard enough.

 

“Yes, my child?” Toriel responded. All eyes were on them as they began to sign. “ _ There’s something missing from the map _ .” The adults in the room shared quizzical looks as Frisk continued signing. “ _ When I climbed Mt. Ebott, I passed by an unfinished house. It looked like people had been working on it but then gave up on it halfway and never came back for it. I think that’s what the note means when it says that the building was forgotten _ .” They shrugged at the end and placed their hands in their lap, a neutral look on their face. The police chief whispered something to one of the officers and the officer left. “How far away is this building,” he asked. Frisk made a show of thinking about it before signing, “ _ About a 10 minute walk from where I fell _ .”

 

The second officer left leaving the police chief with the three of them. He gathered the map up with the rest of his stuff before making his way towards the door. “Thank you for your assistance,” he looked Papyrus dead in the eye. “And I  _ promise _ we will bring back your brother.” With that, he left the room.

 

~~~

 

Sans folded forward onto himself, his ribs flaring in pain from the recent impact. Jack stood before him with a towel wrapped around his fist. The two men had been repeatedly punching his rib cage for the better part of 20 minutes. His breathing was haggard, several short gasps for air as though his lungs couldn’t keep it in. Before he had the chance to get his breathing remotely back to normal, another blow, this time to the back of his skull, had him seeing stars. 

 

A crack sounded throughout the room and Sans spat up blood. He could feel the dust coating the back of his skull. He sat up right again with a grunt of pain, vision swimming. The two men were looking down at him with unreadable expressions. Jack mumbled something under his breath and turned to head to the other side of the room. Despite wanting to watch what the other was doing, Sans kept his eyelight locked onto the immediate threat, Richard. 

 

There was something different in his expression, something Sans hadn’t seen in either of them the whole time he had been there. It looked almost calm. Yet it was also a calculating sort of stare. Like he was trying to predict how Sans would react to whatever was coming next. 

 

Jack returned with a burlap sack and some rope. Sans could feel a shiver of panic run through his body as Jack came closer. He had an almost bored expression on his face as he set the rope down on the ground in front of Sans. “Looks like it’s your lucky day,” Richard stated. When Sans gave him a confused look he decided to elaborate. “You’re going home, Bone Man. Or, at least you might be. All depends on things that are now out of our control.” Jack made his way around to the back of the chair Sans was tied to. There was a click before the weight around Sans’s neck lifted and his magic came rushing back to him.. He felt a sense of whiplash from the sudden burst of energy that left him nauseous. A metal collar with lights and buttons fell onto his lap.

 

Despite his magic now being unblocked, Sans still didn’t feel like he’d be able to use it. His breathing quickened and he felt himself grow lightheaded. He felt like throwing up despite it not being physically possible for a skeleton to do. He stared down at the collar as he tried to get a hold of himself. Meanwhile, as though not noticing- or choosing to ignore rather- the skeleton’s mounting distress, Richard kept talking.

 

“It’s pretty neat, isn’t it? It blocks a monster’s magic yet pumps enough to keep said monster alive. And it has a bit of healing magic in it, that way you freaks won’t die so easily all the time. It took a  _ lot _ of tries to perfect that puppy. And even more monsters.”He looked around as if trying to see if anyone unwanted was listening to what he was saying. “I’m gonna be honest with you. I like the magic you guys have. Imagine for just a second the kinds of weapons that humans could make if we had access to all that power. I can. And I’m  _ loving it _ .”

 

The rattling of bones could be heard the more Sans imagined what humans could do if they still had the use of their magic. “Anyway,” Richard continued, “now we know this thing works. And boy do we have some ideas for it. But you don’t care about that. Nah, you’re still holding onto the home that you’ll be home soon. I wouldn’t count on it, bub. Without this thing around your neck, I can only guarantee you’ll survive a little over 8 hours. I wish you the best of luck for the future. Maybe our paths will cross again one day.” Richard left the room without another word and Jack came back around to the front of Sans. 

 

He cracked his knuckles and faced Sans. “Just one more for the road, eh?” He reared back his arm and punched Sans square in the face, knocking him unconscious.

 

~~~

 

The police chief arrived at the unfinished house that Frisk had been talking about with a team of 11 other officers and an ambulance of paramedics that specialized in healing monsters. They all got out of their vehicles as quickly as possible, if what was written in the letter was the truth, then they only had about 45 minutes to spare. “Alright everyone. We need to be quick and efficient in this search. I need people searching around the house and people looking inside. Be careful though. I don’t know how long this building has been out here or what sort of condition it is in, so I stress,  _ be safe _ .” Everyone scattered and went to where they were assigned to look. The chief gave the house a good once over before muttering to himself. “You better be right kid.”

 

After 30 minutes of searching, there was still no sign of the skeleton or of anyone being around recently. Nobody wanted to give up, but things were starting to look hopeless. There were only around 15 minutes on the clock, and that’s if the letter hadn’t been sitting around for hours before they found it. For all they know, Sans could’ve died  _ long ago _ . Before they even figured out where to look. The chief let out a despondent sigh, ready to call everyone in and call the search off when he heard it. It was faint and far away, but there it was. The sound of bones rattling. He followed the noise to a fallen support beam. He could see part of a cloth bag sticking out from underneath. What really gave it away was the fact that the bag was shaking in time with the rattles. “I think I found him!” he shouted before starting to grab the beam to lift it. He managed to get it a few feet off the ground but had to wait for someone else to come before they could remove the skeleton from underneath.

 

They opened the bag to find the skeleton scarred and beaten tied up haphazardly. He was unconscious but it was easy to tell that he was in a lot of pain. Taking him out of the bag, he was rushed over to the waiting ambulance that sped away towards the hospital. The chief got back in his cruiser and dialed the station as he followed the ambulance. He didn't even wait for the officer that picked up to say anything.

 

“We found him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, my man's going home! Right after these short messages.
> 
> Hey so, I'm thinking I'm gonna have to post these chapters every three weeks instead of two now that I'm busy with school soooooo. Sorry 'bout that. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all are liking this story so far. I've been having a lot of fun writing it and I love seeing your guys's comments and support. Stay awesome guys! :)


	9. What Happened Here

Sans faded in and out of consciousness on the ride to the hospital. And even when he was awake, everything around him was incomprehensible at best. The only thing that he was able to fully be aware of was the fact that green magic was being pumped into him by several different people. Paramedics shouted overhead, but the words sounded like a mush of noise and static in his head. 

 

His body felt like lead, and some parts didn’t feel like anything at all. It felt as though his arms and legs weren’t attached to his person anymore but he couldn’t remember why for the life of him. He would open his eyes a crack to try and see what was going on only for the small action to cause him a sensual overload and pass out once again. 

 

~~~

 

When Sans woke up again he was on a bed. He knew it wasn’t his- this bed was too firm to be his. At home, he had a soft bed that- thanks to Papyrus’s pleading- was on a wooden frame instead of the floor like in the Underground. From the sound the bed made when it hit the wall when he moved sounded like metal. He felt his bed speed up as the fact that he was somewhere unfamiliar set in. He opened his eye sockets only to close them again as harsh white lights threatened to blind him.

 

The skeleton groaned and tried to turn himself over but stopped when a pain erupted through his body. He wasn’t sure where it originated, but it quickly spread unto it was all encompassing. Several moments went by where he couldn’t move because he was in too much pain to process anything. 

 

He heard a door open nearby and hurried footsteps rush over to the side of his bed. The sound of a woman’s voice echoed around him but it was as though she was miles away and the sound came out distorted and wrong. The warmth of green magic started ebbing the pain away and he could feel himself getting more aware of his surroundings. 

 

Sans opened his eye sockets- which he hadn’t noticed he had been squeezing shut the whole time- to see a light gold colored bunny monster. One of her paws was rested in his sternum and the other was moving in soothing strokes on his skull. “That’s it,” she said. “Just breathe for me. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.” Sans followed her instructions with shuddered breaths. 

 

They sat there for two minutes taking deep breaths in and out. Once Sans was finally calmed down again, the rabbit monster stood and retrieved a clipboard from the floor. Sans figured that she had dropped it in her haste to get over to him. She came back over to his bed, but this time only stood at the foot. “I’m Nurse Jennie,” she stated. “I’ll be the nurse taking care of you for the duration of your stay. If you need anything, there is a button on the remote attached to your bed that will send an alert to my pager.” She pulled a little handheld device out of her pocket and grabbed the remote on his bed. She pushed a button with a phone symbol and her pager lit up and started to beep. 

 

“Is there anything you need right now?” Jennie asked. Sans thought for a moment before simply asking for a cup of water. The nurse hummed in acknowledgement before leaving the room. Sans figured that while he was alone it would be as good a time as ever to take in his surroundings. 

 

The walls of the room he was in were a pristine white and the floor was a gray tile. The room was mostly empty save for two beige chairs and a table in between them, the bed he was on, and machines surrounding him. A beeping noise emitted from one of the machines but he couldn’t tell which one. There wasn’t much else in the room so he figured he would just go back to sleep while he waited, until he noticed that his hands were covered in bandages. In fact, both of his arms were completely covered and he could see where one of his arms had been splinted. How he hadn’t noticed it before was startling in its own regard, but what was even more frightening to him was that he couldn’t remember  _ how _ he got so hurt. He racked his brain only to realize he didn’t remember  _ anything _ around how he got to the hospital or when. 

 

Two knocks on the door alerted the skeleton that Nurse Jennie was coming back in. He looked over to the door as she entered with a tray that had a cup of water and a plate with a sandwich on it. When she got to the side of his bed, she put a straw from her pocket into his cup and held it out for him. He took a few tentative sips before lying back down. His hands fidgeted the little amount they could as Sans looked back up at her. “how did i get here?” he asked. 

 

Nurse Jennie’s ears shot up and her face went to one of surprise. “You don’t remember the ride over?” she questioned. Sans shook his head mournfully. “i don’t even remember getting hurt,” he said truthfully. Jennie shot him a pitying look. “This isn’t good,” she said mostly to herself. “What is the last thing you remember?” Sans thought for a moment. “i was talking with my brother in the morning about going to a sleepover our friends were hosting and then i went to work.” Jennie nodded at his confession and checked his vitals. She made a mental note to tell the doctor about Sans’s loss of memory and turned back to the skeleton. “Would you like to try eating something?” Sans shook his head solemnly and Nurse Jennie nodded in acknowledgement. There was nothing left for her to do in the room since Sans was going to go back to sleep soon, so she left shortly after.

 

Sans laid awake, too concerned about what had happened to him. He figured that something had happened to him at work. In all honesty, he had been expecting  something along the lines of being assaulted at the hot dog stand. happening from a mile away. Hell, he’s surprised it hadn’t happened  _ sooner _ . When he had first opened up his hotdog stand, there were a lot of people that were  _ unhappy _ about a  _ monster _ selling them food. More than a few of them were  _ very vocal _ about it. A few times he had come to the stand and found it knocked over or vandalized. Sometimes both. He would get threats throughout the day, people telling him all kinds of things they would do to him if he so much as put ketchup on their hot dog instead of keeping it plain. Every Time he would just smile and nod which would get them even more riled up. 

 

The longer he kept his stand going, however, the more the harassment stopped. Instead of everyday- several times a day- it was only about once or twice a week now. There were still rude customers, but they were the kind of rude that vendor faces. Sans was happy that the humans mostly accepted that he was staying, but he always knew that it wouldn’t last forever. He always made himself out to be laid back about the situation, but he would be lying if he said that there were some days he was worried he wouldn’t come home in one piece...or at all. After this, though, he wasn’t sure if he would keep up the stand.

 

If he really  _ was _ attacked as he thought, then there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that his family would practically  _ force _ him to quit. There were probably going to be a few regulars that were going to be disheartened to hear that he would be closing up the stand. He knew the kids enjoyed it when he stacked the hot dogs on top of their heads. It bummed him out too, but he knew it was for his own good. Maybe instead of completely closing up shop, he could just move his stand to the west side of town, where it would be safer for him. Hopefully he could convince everyone that he’d be more careful.

 

A wave of exhaustion hit Sans and he yawned. He felt his mandible click oddly as his mouth opened wide. It was fine when he talked since he didn’t have to open his mouth much, what with his voice coming from his magic rather than vocal chords. Sans experimentally moved his mandible in different directions to see what caused it to ache. It hurt the most when he shifted his bottom jaw to the left. Seeing that there was nothing he could feasibly do about it right now, Sans made himself comfortable on the pillow. He mentally made a reminder to tell Nurse Jennie about the pain in his mandible.

 

The sky outside of the hospital shifted to a dull gray as it started to rain. Sans was lulled into a well deserved rest by the soft patter of rain drops hitting the walls of the hospital,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A well deserved rest indeed. Time for some fluff? Yes? Road to Recovery?
> 
> Thank you guys as always for all the support of this work. It warms my heart to see you guys as invested as I am.


	10. Get Well Soon

Papyrus followed the nurse down the clinical halls of the hospital. Some of the doors lining the hallway were open and he could see families and friends inside smiling and talking to patients with equally jovial expressions. In contrast, there were also a few rooms where people were sitting in silence or even some with people crying. Papyrus felt his own soul beat uncomfortably behind his rib cage as he quickened his pace and tried not to dwell too much on the somber atmosphere.

 

The bunny monster- Nurse Jennie was her name if Papyrus remembered right- led him down another hall until they reached a room numbered 237. She gave him a light tap on his shoulder as she turned and walked away. Papyrus took a steadying breath, mentally preparing him to see his brother. He grabbed hold of the door knob, and with one last moment of hesitation, he threw the door open wide and e stepped inside. He looked around the room a moment before his eyes fell on the bed that his brother lay in, fast asleep. It took all of Papyrus’s willpower to not run over and grab him in his arms. Instead, he walked on weak legs over to the bed and rested a trembling hand on Sans’s arm.

 

Sans was almost completely covered in bandages and the bone that wasn’t covered looked grainy and pale. There were some thin scratches here and there on his bone and the occasional small crack. Papyrus didn’t even want to  _ think _ about what kind of injuries were covered by the bandages. He could see a cast around Sans’s leg, a telltale sign of a major break in the bone. Papyrus pulled the blankets up a little to see the full extent of Sans’s injuries when he gasped. Both of Sans’s hands we’re heavily wrapped in bandaging. A stray tear fell from Papyrus’s eye socket as the realization of how much Sans really suffered finally sunk in. His shoulders shook as he tried in vain to hold back his sorrow.

 

He felt that this was partly his fault for not trying harder to keep Sans from working at his stand. He  _ knew _ that it would be a bad idea to let Sans to go to that side of town, and yet he still let him. And Sans was paying for it. Papyrus openly sobbed now. He felt like an awful brother. He leaned his elbows on the bed, mindful of Sans, and rested his head in his hands. The trembles through his body caused the bed beneath him to shake and Sans stirred. 

 

Papyrus gasped and sat back as Sans’s eye sockets slowly fluttered open. His eyelights were hazy and dull as they took in Papyrus. When they landed on Papyrus’s face, they became brighter and more focused. “pap?” he called softly. Papyrus turned away and rubbed the tears from his eyes before answering him. “I’m Here, Brother. I’m Here,” Papyrus reassured with a soft smile. Sans offered his own gentle smile and nodded his head. “can you help me sit up?”

 

Once he was sat up, Papyrus gave him some water from a cup on a table next to his bed. Sans’s eyelights were still a bit unfocused, but he seemed more alert and aware of his surroundings. He kept his hands under under the covers, out of sight. His face was scrunched up and his leg occasionally twitched and caused him to take a sharp inhale. Papyrus laid his hand over one of Sans’s and looked up at him. “Are You In Pain?” he asked gently. Sans gave a sheepish grin and looked down at his leg. “the cast is making my leg itchy, but i can't scratch it,” Sans confessed. A small chuckle escaped Papyrus and Sans shot him a dirty look. 

 

Before either one of the brothers could react, the door was thrown open once again and Frisk bounded in with a card and bag full of toys and paper. They dropped their things at the foot of Sans’s bed and ran up to the side of his bed Papyrus wasn’t on. “ _ Sans! _ ” They signed excitedly. They went to jump into his lap, but stopped when they noticed the bandages on him. Instead, they just patted him on the shoulder and sat on the edge of the bed. 

 

Toriel, Alphys and Undyne walked in next. They also were carrying various different gifts and the like. They all wore expressions of relief, with undertones of worry and empathy. They set their things down around the room before gathering around the bed. Toriel touched a paw to Sans’s forehead and smiled at him sweetly. “How are you feeling dear?” Sans shrugged his shoulders and made a sound somewhere in between a laugh and a scoff. “i dunno. they’ve got me on some pretty strong meds so there isn’t much pain, but some of the bandaging is making me itchy. other than that, i’m feeling better what with you all here.” Undyne rolled her good eye and whispered under her breath, “nerd.” Alphys looked up at her and giggled. 

 

Frisk tapped Sans and pointed at the covers before signing. “ _ Do you wanna do a puzzle with me? _ ” Sans made a show of thinking it over before saying, “course kiddo. ain’t no skin off my nose, that’s for sure.” Alphys and Frisk giggled and Toriel let out a snort. Undyne and Papyrus both groaned and Sans turned to his brother. “c’mon paps. y’know i’m just rubbing ya,” he said with a wink. “WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!” Papyrus shouted, distraught. “Do not shout dear,” Toriel said. Papyrus looked a little sheepish and was going to apologize before he noticed a mischievous smirk on Toriel’s face. “We wouldn’t want you to be  _ pun _ ished, now would we?” Papyrus let out a slew of indignant noises and stomped his foot a few times. Sans and Toriel both fell into fits of loud laughter. Frisk had gotten down and was getting stuff out of their bag, but they still shook with laughter of their own. “Papyrus!” Undyne shouted suddenly, getting everyone’s attention. “You wanna come with me to the cafeteria to bring over some lunch?” Papyrus looked at the punning duo before shaking his head quickly. The two left with the sound of mixed laughter chasing after them. 

 

~~~

 

Undyne and Papyrus to the cafeteria in no hurry at all. They were relatively quiet the way down, not wanting to disturb the other patients. Once in the room, they gathered as many snacks and drinks as they could and threw them onto some trays. Some people gave their food haul weird looks, but they didn’t pay them much mind. It was on the way back that Undyne confronted Papyrus. 

 

“Why are Sans’s hands under the covers?” The question caused Papyrus to involuntarily flinch. He knew there was no way he was going to get out of answering, so he took a deep breath and grit his teeth. “I Don’t Know What Happened, But  _ Both _ Of His Hands Are Wrapped In A Lot Of Bandages. I Was Going To Ask Him, But Then Frisk Came In And I Don’t Think He’d Want Them To Know About It Yet.” By the end of his spiel, Undyne had a look of pure hatred and rage on her face. “When I find those bastards they’re gonna have hell to pay,” she all but spat out. Papyrus tilted his head toward her in consideration. While he did want whoever tortured his brother to be punished for their actions, he didn't want their punishment to be anything out of legality. 

 

As they made their way back to the room, they could hear the television playing lowly while Alphys and Toriel were talking with each other. Sans was talking, albeit quieter than them since he was only doing a puzzle with Frisk. 

 

They came in and unceremoniously dropped the trays onto the side table. Papyrus looked over at Sans and Frisk and saw that they were doing a word search. They had a few words left to find. “IS ANYONE HUNGRY? WE BROUGHT BACK ONLY THE HEALTHIEST OF SNACKS,” he announced. Frisk happily got off of Sans’s bed to grab an apple from the pile. They also grabbed two blueberry muffins for Toriel and Alphys. They both accepted it graciously and started taking bites from them in between talking. Papyrus walked over to Sans with a bag of kale chips. “Would You Like Some?” Sans wrinkled his face and gave Papyrus a pleading look. “you got anything better? like real chips?” Papyrus gave him a stern look while opening the bag. He took out a chip and held it up to Sans’s face. “Just Eat It Sans. Please?” The older skeleton sighed and accepted the offered food. He expected it to taste awful but hummed in content when he realized it wasn’t that bad. “they’re not the greatest, but they’re not the worst either i guess.”

 

Papyrus popped a chip into his mouth and nodded his head in agreement. “I TOLD YOU,” he gloated. Sans’s eyelights rolled. “i believe your exact words were, and i quote, “just eat it sans,” or am i wrong?” It was Papyrus’s turn to roll his eyes as he fed Sans another chip. “NYEH. I DON’T BELIEVE THERE’S A DIFFERENCE.” Sans nearly choked on the chip as he laughed. Everyone looked over to see what happened as crumbs fell from Sans’s mouth as he coughed out a laugh. “okay paps. whatever you say bro.” Sans saw Alphys give him a questioning look as Papyrus pulled out another chip for him. He just shrugged and gave her a wink. She blushed and looked away, hiding her face by turning away to eat her muffin. Sans shook his head in mirth and looked up at Papyrus. He had a far away look in his eyes that made Sans feel...off. It looked wrong to see Papyrus lost in his own thoughts.

 

“you okay bro?” Sans asked gently. Papyrus’s head snapped towards him and for a second he looked scared. He let shook his head and gave Sans a shaky smile. “I Will Be Once You Are.” Sans nodded and looked over at his friends, they all looked tired and worn out to a degree. They must’ve really worried over the past few days. “it’s gonna be okay paps. it won’t be perfect- it probably won’t even be quite the same as it was before. it’ll get better. i promise.” Papyrus softly smiled at Sans. “I Know...Do You Want Another Chip?” Sans chuckled and nodded. 

 

"thanks pap. for everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your support on this work so far.  
> Criticism is always welcome so long as it is constructive.


	11. Stories And Aches

Despite his eye sockets being closed, Sans  _ was _ still awake. Papyrus was reading him a bedtime story- Fluffy Bunny, of course- before he had to leave. Sans had offered to read it to Papyrus instead, but the latter was very insistent on reading to Sans. _ “YOU ALWAYS READ TO ME, SO I'LL READ TO YOU THIS TIME!” _ he had excitedly exclaimed. It was probably for the best since Sans wouldn’t have been able to turn the pages himself. Or hold the book. Sans had sighed deeply and complied, if only because he knew Papyrus would've kept pushing. 

 

When Papyrus finished the book, he put it down in his lap and looked over at his brother. He knew Sans wasn't sleeping, he'd known him too long to be fooled. "Are You Alright Brother?" he asked gently. Sans opened an eye socket. "you know me paps, i'm always fine," Sans replied without missing a beat. Papyrus sighed and shook his head. He placed his hand on top of where he knew Sans's hand to be under the covers. "It Is Just The Two If Us Now, Sans. You Don't Have To Pretend." Both of Sans's sockets where open now, but they refused to meet Payprus's. His hands shifted under the covers and he reluctantly pulled them out. Papyrus watched his brother with a neutral expression. 

 

"i'm guessing you already knew, huh?" Sans said quietly. "i only vaguely remember what happened to them. i remember them getting hit with something metal. hard, obviously. but it wasn't just one hit for each hand. i remember it dragging out for what seemed like ages. just my hands getting bashed in and writhing in pain that shot up my arms and through my whole body. they were...unrecognizable as hands by the end." His voice was so soft by the end, it was barely a whisper. He shook softly and his eyes had a haunted look to them. Papyrus was barely any better. His eye sockets were wide with horror and shock. His own hands ached in sympathy, he flexed his fingers as though he had to make sure they were still there. "Sans…" he said soothingly. Sans looked up with tears in his eyes. His shaking increased. Papyrus leaned over and hugged Sans tightly while being gentle of his injuries at the same time. "i was so scared paps. i don't- i didn't think i was going to come back alive. i thought...i thought that i was going to die."

 

The confession shook Papyrus all the way to his core. His SOUL felt like it had been dunked in ice water. The sound of rattling bones and soft hiccuping filled the room as the two brothers embraced each other. Papyrus comforted Sans, saying tender words of encouragement. When Sans's rattling had finally subdued and his tears were few and far between, they finally separated. Papyrus wiped at the tear tracks down Sans's cheeks. He smiled wateryly at his brother. "It's Okay Now Sans. You're Safe And I'll Protect You So That This Never Happens To You Again. After All, I Am  _ The Great Papyrus _ , And I Wouldn't Be That Great If I Couldn't Protect My Own Brother," Papyrus said with a nod of finality. Sans chuckled quietly and nodded back. "yeah. i know you will."

 

A quiet knock on the door was all the warning they got before it opened to reveal Nurse Jennie. "I just needed to pop in to tell you that visiting hours are ending in half an hour." At Papyrus's small frown she sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry, I don't make the rules," she said gingerly. With that she left the room, lightly closing the door behind her. "welp," Sans said without a trace of anything positive. Papyrus picked up his book from where it had fallen when he had hugged Sans and opened it back up to the first page. "Would You Like Me To read Fluffy Bunny To You Again?" Sans let out genuine laugh and nodded. "i would like nothing more."

 

~~~

 

The drive back home was short and uneventful. Sans had fallen asleep after the second page so Papyrus left after he finished the book again, making sure Sans was sleeping soundly. He quickly got out of his car and into the house. He took off his boots and went straight for his bedroom once inside. Papyrus was sure he had never felt more exhausted in his life. He felt more than just a little emotionally drained. 

 

Papyrus changed quickly into his pyjamas- making sure he put his dirty clothing into the hamper- and got into bed. Despite his exhaustion, however, he found himself struggling to fall asleep. He stared up at his ceiling on his back, his thoughts racing. Everytime he thought about what Sans told him, his hands became sore with a phantom pain. He didn't know when or why it started, but soon Papyrus felt tears rolling down his face and onto the pillow. He sniffled lightly and let out a shaky breath. 

 

He turned over onto his side, not caring that by doing so he would get tears in his nasal canal. Even though he was found, Papyrus was still worried about Sans. He's sure that Sans had gone through a lot while he was missing, and if it was all as bad as what happened to his hands...Papyrus wasn't sure if he could bare the thought of his brother suffering so much. The thought that scared Papyrus the most however, was the fact that it could happen again. At any moment to anyone. He shivered at the thought.

 

It took a while for Papyrus to finally fall asleep that night. His mind had been plagued with 'What If's and worst case scenarios. Once he had drifted off, his sleep wasn't very restful. He had already been a light sleeper, but tonight it felt like if he so much as moved the covers oddly he was woken up. Frustrated, Papyrus got out of bed in the wee hours of the morning. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to just pass out where he stood. He shuffled his way to the kitchen to make himself a warm cup of milk. Hopefully it would help him fall asleep. Papyrus opened the fridge to get out the milk, only to see that there was no more. He cursed himself for not going to the store to replace it before when he had first run out. He sighed, already getting what he would need to make himself tea instead. Some chamomile would probably be best for right now. 

 

He drank his tea in silence. Sans and him didn't really drink it often, but they had a wide variety from their friends who did drink tea. He thought that it was too bitter, but he didn't want to add sugar so that it wouldn't keep him up anymore than he already was. He watched out the window on the other side of the kitchen. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon and Papyrus let out a sigh. A night without sleep wouldn't kill him, but it would've been nice to have at least gotten a little rest. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and finished the rest of his tea, placing the mug in the sink. He could clean it up later. 

 

Papyrus went back upstairs to start his morning routine. He showered quickly under cool water, hoping that it would wake him up a little more. Shivering slightly, he got out and put on a clean outfit, dark jeans and an orange t-shirt. He was planning on going to the hospital again to see Sans and maybe talk to his doctor about his recovery. Papyrus made himself a simple breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs. He still wasn't used to the quiet of the mornings, but luckily- hopefully- it wouldn't be so quiet for much longer. 

 

A text from Undyne caused his vibrate on the table. He startled a little but soon relaxed. Papyrus picked up his phone and looked at the text. 

 

_ Captain Undyne- 6:37am _

_ Hey punk!!! Are you going to see the nerd again later today?! _

 

Papyrus rolled his eyes and responded. 

 

_ THE GREAT PAPYRUS- 6:38am _

_ WHAT KIND OF BROTHER WOULD I BE IF I DIDN'T!?! _

_ WHY?? _

 

He wasn't sure if Undyne was going to text him back, but he kept his phone with him just in case. Papyrus cleaned up his plate and his mug from earlier. Making sure everything was clean, Papyrus threw on his jacket and boots and headed to work. 


	12. Good News And Bad News

The day crawled slowly as Papyrus anxiously waited to meet with Undyne at the hospital. Apparently she had spoken with the officers about how they planned on finding Sans’s captors. Of course, it wasn’t hard to piece together who it was, not many people had shown their dislike so much that they started kidnapping monsters. And then there was the letter they sent. To say it was concerning was the understatement of the year. World officials had been contacted and they were discussing how to take action in protecting monsters. The government was involved seeing as this could end up leading to a mass genocide of a race. Something bigger than they had originally thought was in play here.

 

“What’s got you so wound up?” a sudden voice asked concerned. Papyrus startled a little and turned around to see Misty looking up at him with soft eyes. He had gone back into the break room half an hour ago to answer a call from Undyne and he hadn’t returned out to help Misty. He looked away guiltily. “Ah. Sorry For Leaving You To Run The Shop By Yourself. I Just...” his voice petered out and he sighed. Misty was by his side in an instant, a comforting hand resting gently on his forearm. “You know you can talk to me, right?” Dark, narrow eye sockets met gentle brown eyes and he succumbed to the gentle suggestion. “It’s Just...Scary Sometimes. Why Do People Hate Us So Much? Hate Us Enough To Tor-...Hurt Us To Prove A Point?” a deep, sorrowful sigh escaped Papyrus. The air felt thick, weighing heavily around the two friends almost suffocatingly. Misty patted his arm and took a breath. “I don’t know. Sometimes humans are cruel for no reason. They see differences as threats and take that fear of the unknown and turn it into hatred,” Misty said, a hint of anger lacing her tone. As a person of color, she had bear witness to prejudice more than a few times in her life as well. It hurt that people thought of her as something less than them. As the years went by, it had gotten slightly better to deal with, but that didn’t mean that it was gone or that it hurt any less. It hurt that one of her friends was going through it too, that they had feared for their brother’s life just because they were a different and unique race.

 

Papyrus sniffled and looked at Misty, startled. “What Are We Doing? WE HAVE CUSTOMERS!” It was as if he had only just now noticed that no one was in front since the only two employees were currently in the break room. Misty shook her head at him solemnly. “I closed early. It was kind of slow today anyway, I wouldn’t have kept it open much longer probably.” Papyrus looked absolutely mortified. “You Didn’t Have To Do That!” he said imploringly. Misty started walking away from him and grabbed her sweater off a rack they had for their jackets. Shrugging it on, she shook her head again, a small smile finding its way to her lips. “You’re right, I didn’t. But I wanted to.” She started towards the tall skeleton again. “Papyrus, you’re not just my employee, but you’re also my friend. I can tell when you’re bothered by something. And you were today. And I totally get it. You just got your brother back. You’re worried about him and his recovery and, well, everything else that comes to something of this degree. Not only was it a threat on your brother’s life, but it’s one for  _ every _ monster practically. I can’t possibly imagine how hard this has been and I don’t want you to have to worry about anything else, so. I’m here for you if you ever want to talk about anything- and I really mean  _ anything _ .” Tears were pooled in the corner of Papyrus’s eye sockets, waiting to pour down his cheek bones. He sniffled and nodded his head, not trusting his already crumbling resolve to not break if he opened his mouth. Misty offered him a bright smile and patted his back. “It’s gonna be alright,” she said reassuringly. Papyrus desperately wanted to believe her, but he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t have his doubts.

 

~~~

 

Undyne sat impatiently in the waiting room of the hospital. Her leg bounced, anxious energy practically oozing out of her and into the room around her. She checked her phone for the fourth time in the 15 minutes she had been sitting there. A frustrated groan escaped her as she jumped to her feet and started pacing around the small sitting area. A few of the other patients gave odd looks- with a few looks of disgust tossed into the mix as well- at her behavior. The blue fish monster was lost in her thoughts and almost missed as a figure a few inches taller than her approached. Her good eye snapped up to their face, her whole body tense. She only relaxed when she saw that it was only Papyrus stalking towards her. She let out a breath of relief, most of the tension leaving her body. “Took you long enough,” she teased once he was next to her. He gave her a miffed expression and she shot back one of apology. The duo walked over to the receptionist desk to be allowed in to see Sans. The man at the desk gave Undyne a skeptical look when they first walked over, but otherwise let them in without hassle.

 

They walked in silence to Sans’s room. Undyne still looked nervous, but Papyrus had yet to comment on it. It wasn’t until they were standing outside the door to Sans’s room that Papyrus finally spoke up. “Are You Alright Undyne?” She glanced up quickly at him. “Wha- Yeah! Yeah. I just have to tell you something.” Her ear fins dropped and she looked away, a frown tugging the corners of her mouth down. She sighed and looked back to him. “I’ll tell you once we’re in the room with Sans. You guys probably aren’t gonna like it though.” that didn’t sound too promising to Papyrus so he just nodded and knocked on the door. To their surprise, someone on the other side opened the door. The shock quickly dissipated as the opened door revealed a lizard-like monster in a pristine white coat. “Ah yes,” he spoke in a raspy voice. “You must be the patient’s brother, Papyrus. And you are?” He turned to Undyne who sputtered before mumbling out her name. The doctor hummed and let them in. “Very good, yes. Well then.” He clapped his hands together and smiled brightly at the newcomers. “My name is Doctor Sigmus, I’ll be taking care of Sans for as long as he is with us.”

 

Papyrus made his way over to Sans’s bed and sat on the edge. Sans gave him a tentative smile and an awkward side hug. He waved at Undyne who just grunted and sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the room. He let out a muffled chuckle and gave Doctor Sigmus his attention again. The doctor walked over to the bed and grabbed a clipboard that had been placed on the table next to it. He cleared his throat and spoke. “Due to the extent of Sans’s injuries, we’re thinking of keeping him for another few days. Once he’s allowed home, he is to be strictly on bed rest. With his leg broken he wouldn’t be able to walk all that well and crutches are out of the question unfortunately.” Sans shifted uncomfortably. Papyrus shot him a sympathetic look and reassuringly pat his shoulder. “Other than that, I don’t have much to tell you,” Sigmus continued. “You are healing very well, and I expect you to make a full recovery in the near future.” He gave Sans a toothy grin, one that Sans returned. “Do you have any questions for me?” Sans looked up at nothing in particular for a moment before he shrugged. “i guess there’s one thing,” he said lazily. “my memories from those days are pretty shoddy. is that- is that bad?” Papyrus looked at his brother with concern but Doctor Sigmus’s face remained neutral. He hummed a somber tune and sighed. “Yes, yes. That is to be expected when one has experienced a traumatic event. I’m not the best in this field- a psychologist or therapist would be  _ much _ better- but you could just be suppressing the memories. Not intentionally of course.” Everyone nodded, Papyrus already making plans to make an appointment for Sans to see someone about this.

 

Doctor Sigmus left shortly after, leaving the three friends to themselves. Papyrus and Sans started talking to each other about their days almost immediately after the doctor left. Undyne kept quiet, gathering her thoughts and steeling herself for what she had to tell the brothers. “what’s up fish face?” Sans called. Undyne looked over to him, her face scrunched up in annoyance at the nickname. “Why do you call me that?” she said with mock annoyance. Sans’s smile widened into something mischievous. “would you prefer me call you  _ undies  _ then?” Undyne’s face fell into something sinister, yet also somehow neutral. Years of leading the Royal Guard would do that. “If you weren’t already in the hospital, I would send you to one right now,” she said in a deadpan tone. Sans let out a loud, uncontrollable guffaw, taken by surprise how serious Undyne’s tone was. Papyrus, however, didn’t find it as funny. “UNDYNE! I WOULD NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM MY BROTHER!” Papyrus sprung up from his spot on the bed. “NYEH HEH HEH! BEHOLD! THE POWER OF BROTHERHOOD!” He struck a pose and then reached over and hugged Sans. “NEVER FEAR! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL PROTECT YOU FROM THE WICKED FISH FACE!” Sans’s laugh had tapered off, but with Papyrus’s dramatic proclamation, he found his laughter becoming hysterical. Undyne struggled not to let a smile show and Papyrus grinned from metaphorical ear to ear.

 

When they had all calmed down, they went back to amiably chatting. It was then that Papyrus gasped and looked over at Undyne. Sans quirked a brow bone at his younger brother. Undyne sighed, dreading what she was about to say. She rubbed her hands together slowly and leaned back. “I spoke with the officers on Sans’s case yesterday. First off, they want to talk to Sans about what happened to him. They want some deeper insight on what kind of psychos they’re chasing after. Second off...they uh. They think that Jack and Richard left the city. They’ve been searching all around for them- on both sides of the city. There hasn’t been a single trace of them. They haven’t even found where they kept you captive.” The news was shocking and terrifying. The way Undyne was talking about it made it seem like they had vanished into thin air. “They’re gonna keep looking, but. One thing is for sure. This is might not be the last we see of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting pretty tense, huh.
> 
> Thank you for all your continued support of this work! It means the world to me.


	13. Cracked

Sans let out an irritated sigh and rubbed his sockets with his wrists. He muttered a small curse under his breath and looked at the other two monsters in his room. “this is awful timing after ‘dyne’s stellar pep talk.” Undyne narrowed her good eye at the short skeleton monster while Papyrus just stared patiently at his brother. “my uh, my soul is cracked.” Papyrus and Undyne both gasped loudly, their faces contorting into looks of shock. “What the fuck?! Why didn’t the doctor tell us when he was just here?!” Undyne barked, her surprise quickly morphing into anger. Sans shot her a harsh look and she immediately backed off. 

 

“he didn’t say anything because i thought that you guys would take it better if i had told you myself. and it probably would’ve gone over better if not for the universe and its funny way of timing things.” At that, Sans looked up at nothing in particular with a sour face. Papyrus gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “How Bad Is It?” he asked in a subdued voice. The eyelights in Sans’s sockets dimmed and he let out a humourless chuckle. “it’s not that big and it doesn’t hurt anymore. took half of my base hp though, so...” He trailed off, eyelights disappearing altogether. Papyrus’s grip on his shoulder tightened as the tall skeleton took a sharp breath through his teeth. Undyne remained oddly silent, though with what Sans had just confessed, it wasn’t unexpected. 

 

The three friends sat in a heavy silence, all ruminating on the news of the day. “Sans, when you’re released, you’re not to go back to work until we know what’s going on with this whole thing and everyone behind it is caught,” Undyne said suddenly. Sans opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by a stern look from the fish monster. “End of discussion. You’re too much of a target with your abysmal stats. If they were to take you again, the chances of you ever being found alive are slim to none.” Her tone was steady and monotonous. Her role as the leader of the Royal Guard shining through in her posture, shoulders back, arms at her sides, back ramrod straight. Sans nodded hesitantly and she relaxed. 

 

“It’s For The Best, Brother. And If You Leave The House, I Want You To Always Be With Someone Else,” Papyrus stated gently. Sans looked over at Papyrus, betrayal on his face. The younger skeleton held up a hand to stop Sans’s protests. “I Know You Can Take Care If Yourself Brother, But It Is Not Safe Out There For You. Your HP Dropped For Goodness Sake! It Was Already Low, But NOW?!...No. I’m Sorry Sans. I Can’t...I Can’t Lose You.” It felt like someone had just sucker punched Sans’s SOUL. The desperation in Papyrus’s voice was too much to bare. Tears welled in his sockets and he lunged at his brother to hug him. If Papyrus felt him shaking, he didn’t mention it. 

 

Undyne turned away as the two brothers held each other. She swore to herself that she wouldn’t let this happen again. To them or anyone else. Making up her mind, Undyne turned back to the skeleton brothers. “I’m going to talk to the police and offer my help in catching these assholes. If you remember anything that you think will help in this investigation, let me know, alright Sans?” Said skeleton nodded his head once solemnly. “there are a few things that you should know i guess,” he said, hands fidgeting with the blanket on him. 

 

“i don’t know how they made it, but they have some sort of collar that can block a monster’s magic. it also monitors your stats to make sure they don’t, y’know, drop to 0. ‘s probably how they managed to not kill me on accident,” Sans said with a shrug of fake nonchalance. Papyrus flinched at the last part. The revelation that Sans would’ve died if they had been less prepared shocking him to his core. He didn’t know whether he should be relieved or scared. 

 

On one hand, they knew what they were doing and probably wouldn’t kill any monsters. But on the other, there are worse fates than death. He couldn’t imagine the torture of be subject to all kinds of horrors and pain and live through it. Thinking about how many times it must of taken in order for them to perfect the device sent shivers down Papyrus’s spine. As he was lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Undyne leave, shooting a concerned look at him. 

 

Sans placed a gentle hand on Papyrus’s back, causing the younger to look up quickly. He offered Sans a crooked smile and shifted so that he was sitting with his back to Sans. “what’s up pap? i know something’s on your mind.” Concern and understanding laced Sans voice. Papyrus let out a shuddering breath and stood up, all of a sudden feeling restless. Pacing back and forth, Papyrus started ranting. “It’s Just Not Fair,” he muttered under his breath. Sans frowned. “life is hardly ever fair unfortunately,” he said sadly. An unintelligible sound left Papyrus’s mouth and he continued. “I Get That Sans- I Do. It’s Just...Monsters Haven’t Done Anything To deserve This. Why Are They So Mean To Us?” He scoffed and shook his head, his pacing halting as he got lost in his thoughts once again. “I Feel Like I’ve Been Saying That A Lot Lately.” Papyrus chuckled but there was no humour in it. 

 

It wasn’t until he felt something on his arm that he realized that Sans had gotten out of bed. “Sans! What Are You Doing Out Of Bed? Go Lie Down Before You-” Sans shook his head, a look of determination on his face. “i’m not gonna lie down until you tell me what’s eating you up.” Papyrus looked as though he wanted to argue, but knew his brother was too stubborn to let this go. “At Least Sit Down, Please?”

 

Getting Sans to sit down was a challenge in itself. The bed was a little too high for him to get on by himself so Papyrus had to lift him up. Papyrus had positioned him so that when he let go Sans would lie down, but as he expected, Sans fought with him until he complied and let him stay sitting up. They waited in the quiet company of each other for a few moments before Papyrus spoke up. 

 

“I’m Just Scared, Sans. I’m Scared That You’ll Go Out One Day And You Won’t Come Back Home To Me. When You Didn’t Show Up For The Sleepover, And You Didn’t Pick Up Your Phone...I Was Terrified. And The People Who Did This To You Are Still Out There. They Could Do It Again. At Any Time. And That Terrifies Me.” Sans was silent. He knew that everything had been piling up, the stress on Papyrus’s shoulders from everything that had happened. It was no wonder he was so adamant on having someone be with Sans when he was out. 

 

Sans had never wanted Papyrus to have to deal with this kind of stress. As the big brother, it was his responsibility to look out for the two of them. But he supposed it was time for him to let go a little, he knew it would happen eventually. Time for him to stop sheltering Papyrus so much. “you’re right, papyrus. it’s scary up here. i was so fucking scared too. but you know what got me through? thinking about you and everyone else. and even if it happens again, i know you’ll be out there looking for me every day. and i’d do the same for you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! :)  
> I can’t believe we’re starting a new year- hell, a new decade at that. I wish all of you a safe and awesome year!
> 
> Thank you for those who keep reading and leaving kudos! Y’all really made my year.


	14. Home Sweet Home

Sans was in the hospital for another week before the doctors thought him healthy enough to be discharged. Papyrus wheeled him out the automatic doors, a calm sort of happiness blatant on his face. Getting the smaller skeleton into the car was a challenge in and of itself. Sans kept insisting that he could get in by himself even though it was obvious that he was struggling to even get up from the wheelchair. Papyrus couldn’t bare to watch his brother struggle and eventually, despite Sans’s protests, helped him into the back row of the car. 

 

The ride to their house was spent in quiet conversation. At one point, Papyrus had thought for sure that Sans had fallen asleep and stopped his story mid sentence. Sans spoke up after a moment, questioning the sudden silence. After that, Papyrus kept talking even when he wasn’t sure if Sans was still listening. 

 

When they finally pulled into the driveway, Sans looked around at the street. Cars lined up and down the road for a reason that eluded the smaller brother. Papyrus offered no explanation when Sans asked, only helping Sans into a wheelchair and up to the front door. Papyrus had to use blue magic to get Sans up the porch. He frowned thinking about all the stairs around the house and how difficult it will be for Sans to get around. Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and headed inside, Sans in tow.

 

The house was dark when they entered, which wasn’t unusual unless you took in account the fact that there were muffled voices coming from somewhere in the kitchen. Just when Sans was about to ask Papyrus what was going on, the lights turned on and people jumped out of hiding spots shouting surprise. After the shock faded, Sans looked around the room filled with familiar faces. Party decorations were hung from anywhere they could be. Right above the entrance was a sign that said ‘Welcome Home Sans’ in neat handwriting. Some of the letters at the end got squished from the writer being too ambitious and drawing the letters too big. In the kitchen, Sans could see several bowls and platters of assorted snacks and a cooler that presumably held drinks. On the table was a pie that he could only assume was handmade by Toriel.

 

Sans closed his mouth, not even realizing it had been open in the first place. A  giggle to his right had him snapping back to attention, truly realizing what his friends had done for him. A wide, genuine smile spread across his face. “guys,” he said happily, “you didn’t have to do all this for me.” Toriel stepped towards him with a warm smile. “Of course we did, Sans. You are our friend. And besides, who could say no to a party?” she said. He chuckled at that along with several others in the room. He looked around and took in who was there. 

 

Alphys and Undyne were sitting at the bottom of the stairwell to the second floor, both wearing expressions of solace and happiness. Standing in the archway connecting the kitchen and living room was Grillby. His flames were a brighter orange than normal, even having yellows streak through at some parts, a phenomenon Sans only associated with the fiery bartender being very happy or proud. Like when they first got to the surface. A couple of the regulars from when they were in the Underground were there too. The whole Canine squad from Snowdin was there, their tails wagging in happiness. Lesser Dog and Greater Dog both yipped at him when their eyes met his. He chuckled lightly at their obvious excitement. Even Asgore was there. The giant boss monster was sitting on the couch, leaving barely any room for anyone else. Well, it wouldn’t have been much room for most, but it was just enough for one, determined child.

 

Frisk hopped off the couch and made their way over to Sans, a content smile on their face that also carried a bit of nervousness. “ _ Do you like it  _ ?” they signed. Sans nodded to them. “course kiddo. i love it,” he said, smiling at all his friends. In a sudden burst of blue and red, Undyne launched herself off the stairs and landed in the middle of the living room. “ _ NGAHH  _ !! ENOUGH TALKING! LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!” she shouted while waving around one of her energy spears above her head. 

 

Monsters walked around the house, chatting amongst each other. Despite the party being for Sans’s discharge, most of the guests didn’t talk much about it. Sans was relieved from this small grace. He was moved from his wheelchair onto the couch, Asgore offering up his spot for the smaller. People came and went through the living room, talking to him about what they’ve been up to for the past week or so. The normalcy in the conversations was a welcome break in all the medical talk of the past few days.

 

Papyrus kept coming in and out of the kitchen, asking Sans if he was alright or if he needed anything. Many of the guests found it heartwarming how much Papyrus felt he needed to dote on his brother and how Sans just let him. Papyrus was making his way over to Sans when Undyne grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face her. “He’s fine,” she said with a slight frown. Handing him a red cup she let go of his arm. “He’s having fun, and you should be too. This party isn’t just for him y’know.” She walked away without another word, leaving Papyrus to stare into his cup. He looked back at Sans. He was talking to the Dogi who were both barking out laughs at a joke Sans told them. Sans was smiling back at them. He turned and for a moment, his eyelights met Papyrus. He waved and grinned brightly, happier than he had looked since that first day he went missing. Papyrus waved back and Sans went back to talking to the former sentries.

 

The tall skeleton finished his drink quickly headed deeper into the kitchen. Papyrus walked passed Frisk who was stuffing their face with potato chisps. They gave him a guilty expression as he walked by but he did nothing to stop them. It was a party after all. The pie Toriel had baked was all gone, unsurprisingly to Papyrus. Toriel always made the best pies. Speaking of the goat woman, Papyrus saw her and Grillby talking to each other, the flame elemental laughing at one of her jokes. It’s no shock that he would enjoy her kind of humour, it was similar to Sans’s. Toriel saw him and waved him over to her. 

 

“Hello Ms. Toriel, Grillby. How Are You Two Doing?” he asked, always one to try and be the best host he could be. Toriel laughed softly behind a paw-like hand. “We’re fine Papyrus. What about you? I know you’re glad to have your brother back home.” Papyrus sighed and nodded. He looked down into his empty cup for a moment. He had originally come in to get something more to drink but had gotten distracted. “Something...the matter?” Grillby asked, his flames popping in concern. Papyrus quickly looked up and shook his head. “No No! Nothing’s Wrong, After All, Nothing Bothers The GREAT PAPYRUS!...” He trailed off at the end, eyes traveling over to look at Sans. “I Don’t Know What To Do With Sans. When I’m At Work, Who’s Going To Look After Him? Wh-What If He Needs Something A-And I’m Not Here Or He Falls And I-I’m Not There To Help Him Up O-Or-” Papyrus is cut off by a furry hand being placed on his shoulder.

 

“Do not worry, my child. If you need any help, I’d be happy to stop by at any time,” Toriel assured. Grillby nodded and looked at him with a steadfast expression. “...As will I.” Papyrus looked at the two dumbfounded. “I Couldn’t Ask You To Do That,” he muttered quickly. Grillby chuckled heartily. “...You are not...asking. We...are offering.” There wasn’t anything Papyrus could think to say to them except “Thank You”. And really, there was nothing else to be said. Toriel smiled, drawing Papyrus in for a tight embrace.  “Of course," she said. "That’s what friends are for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of the year so my boy gets to go home :)
> 
> Thank you all for the continued support of this work, y'all mean the world to me!


	15. Late Night And Morning Shenanigans

The welcoming party had dwindled down over the next hours, guests leaving in a slow trickle until only the skeleton brothers were left. Sans sat passed out on the living room couch, no doubt exhausted from having so much socialization so soon. Papyrus busied himself by cleaning up the house, throwing out left over plates and cups and putting meals that people had brought over for the brothers in the fridge. Crumbs littered the living room carpet but Papyrus decided not to vacuum yet so Sans could sleep some more. By the time the house was cleaned to Papyrus’s liking, it was already past 10:30pm.

 

Papyrus sighed as he tied another black garbage bag closed. He heaved the bags out the front door, bringing them out to the trash bins on the side of the road. When he closed the lid with a huff, he looked around the neighborhood. The night was still and quiet. Very few lights were on in the other homes, a testament to how late it was in and of itself. A gentle breeze blew Papyrus’s signature scarf behind him in an almost heroic way. A car passed by and Papyrus figured it was time to head back inside.

 

Closing and locking the door behind him, Papyrus stepped into the living room. He turned to head into the kitchen but stopped when he saw movements from the couch. He took a few steps toward it and was met with a particularly worrying sight.

 

Sans was curled in on himself, his face scrunched up in pain. A soft rattling of bones that Papyrus hadn’t noticed before sounded from the small frame of his brother. He whimpered softly and curled himself even further into a ball, letting out a groan as he no doubt agitated some of his injuries. Papyrus reached out to shake his brother awake, but quickly pulled his hand back when Sans flinched at the contact.

 

“Sans?” Papyrus said softly. “Wake Up Brother. It Is Just A Bad Dream.” He noticed tears forming in the corner of Sans’s clenched eye sockets. Sans mumbled unintelligible sounds under his breath almost sounded like pleas. Once again. Papyrus tried calling out to his brother, a cold feeling settling in his nonexistent stomach. Mustering up his resolve, he reached out to Sans again, this time not pulling his hand back even as he felt Sans flinch and his trembling increase. He shook Sans lightly and said his name again.

 

It was slow coming, but eventually Sans opened his eye sockets. His body was still tense and it seemed like he wasn’t exactly aware of where he was at the moment. Hazy eye lights made their way to Papyrus’s face, analyzing all of his features until recognition flashed across his face.

 

“p’pyrus?” he slurred tiredly, his eyelights finally focusing on the skeleton in front of him. “wha’s goin’ on?” Instead of responding, Papyrus just picked up the smaller and carried him upstairs to his room. Sans muttered incoherently as they made their way upstairs, still too out of it to make proper sense. Using the light from the hall to guide his way Papyrus managed his way over to Sans’s bed and laid him down.it was hard to pull back the covers with his brother in his arms, but he made do. He tucked the covers around Sans the way he liked and smiled gently. He was already half asleep again but as Papyrus turned to walk out, he called out to his brother.

 

“g’night paps,” he said softly. Papyrus turned back from in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob. “Goodnight Sans,” he replied and closed the door. He made one more sweep of the house before he figured it was high time that he retired for the night too.

 

He only turned the light on his night stand on when he came in. Papyrus quickly changed out of his day wear into some comfy pyjamas. Despite the time of night and the day’s events, Papyrus found sleep eluding him. It wasn’t exactly rare for him to have trouble sleeping, but tonight he couldn’t fall asleep even though he was quite tired. He tossed and turned for a good portion of the night, unable to pin[oint an exact reason for why he was having such difficulty. When he finally did manage to fall asleep, it was well into the morning, only a few hours before his alarm went off to wake him up for the day.

 

~~~

 

Sans was not an early riser. This reigned true now and even when they were Underground. He couldn’t really remember a time in his life where he would wake up before 9 o’clock fully rested and ready for the day. And yet, here he was. Wide awake at 7:30 in the morning. However, while he was awake, it wasn’t exactly on his own volition. He had woken up about 20 minutes ago because of a pain in his damaged leg. The doctor had given him medication for the pain, but unfortunately for him, Papyrus had left it on his dresser. For the past 20 minutes, he’s just been staring at the bottle of pills from his place on his bed. The only way he would be able to get them was if he called Papyrus or if he somehow hobbled his way over on mostly one foot.

 

He was reluctant to do the former, believing that he had already been too reliant on his brother in the past week or so. With a determined look on his face, Sans scooched his way to the edge of the bed closest to the dresser. He was glad that there had been no one else in the room to watch him struggle his way to the opposite end of the bed. He took another moment or two together himself before he pushed himself up onto shaky feet. It took a couple of false starts but he eventually was able to stand without needing to use his arms to support him.

 

Most of his weight was kept on his good leg as he thought of a game plan to get his medicine. In all honesty, he should’ve thought it out more when he had still been sitting, but now that he was up he wasn’t going to sit back down in fear that he wouldn’t  be able to convince himself to get back up again. He huffed out a breath and leaned so that he was gradually putting more weight on his bad leg. His face scrunched up in pain but he didn’t let it deter him. He limped about half the distance before he had to stop to take a breather.

 

Sans was in so much pain that he couldn’t find it in himself to move any further. So he just stood there, in the middle of his room, on one foot like some kind of demented skeleton flamingo. He had no idea how long he stood there before the pain got to him. He toppled to the floor in a heap of bones and fabric. Of course, the universe couldn’t seem to give him a break. The impact of his fall jostled most all his injuries, making him hiss and let out a pained yelp. He panted out harsh, shallow breaths.

 

Determined and frustrated eyelights stared coldly at the pill bottle on top of the dresser. With no ounce of dignity left, Sans began carefully crawling towards the dresser. It was harder than he had thought it would be with the cast on his leg. Every now and then he would accidentally drag it and it would shift the cast, causing it to dig into his leg. When he finally reached the base of the dresser, he let out a sigh of relief. It took the last of his strength to push himself up to a point where he could reach the prized medicine. 

 

Prize in hand, he leaned his back against the dresser and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. He struggled to get the cap off, but when he finally did it was like a weight was finally lifted off his person. He poured two of the small pills into the palm of his hand and stared at them incredulously. He was supposed to take them with food but there was no way in hell he was going to get any food for a while if his most recent escapade was anything to go off of. Sans quickly swallowed the pills dry without second thought.

 

Distantly, he could hear stirring in the next room over. Papyrus must be waking up now, which means that it was now 8:30. Sans let out a humourless chuckle. Wasn’t that pathetic? It had taken him nearly an hour to get from his bed to the other side of the room. His eyelights faded out with the dark thoughts that consumed him.

 

He was a mess, wasn’t he?

 

It wouldn’t be long before Papyrus came in to wake him up. Hopefully. He would just wait in his spot on the floor until then. If he told himself that this was fine enough times, it eventually would be. Silent tears fell from his sockets as the reality of his situation fully set in. Nothing would be the same again, or, at least not for a long time.

  
  


When Papyrus went to get Sans up, only to find the latter sitting on the floor limply with distinguished eyelights, saying he was concerned was an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, welly, well, well. Another chapter, hmm?
> 
> Poor Sans. Not being able to walk on your own is a pain, but it gets better eventually.
> 
> As always, thank you guys for supporting this work. It means the world to me!


	16. Stubbornness

Saying Papyrus was reluctant to leave Sans home so soon was an understatement. It was damn near impossible to convince the boisterous skeleton to go to work that morning. He kept fretting over Sans, worried that while he was away something terrible would happen. Toriel knew that he was justified, and she knew to expect the behaviour. But what she wasn’t expecting was how stubborn Papyrus really could be.

 

It was one thing that the two brothers had in common despite how different they seemed.

 

Toriel had to practically shut the door in Papyrus’s face to make sure that he wouldn’t turn back around with some other complaint. Of course, she knew he had a key and could just come right back in, but she highly doubted he would. She only left her spot at the front door once she finally heard his car start and pull out of the drive. With a soft sigh, Toriel made her way back into the kitchen, where Sans had been the majority of the time she was there. 

 

A now empty bowl sat in front of him and he was staring at it with a quiet look of concentration. He looked over to the sink and then back to the bowl, then finally to his crutches. Toriel watched the whole scene play out from the threshold that separated the kitchen from the living room, out of Sans’s vision. Before she could even realise what was happening, the bowl was enveloped in a light blue colour and started to levitate off the table. It shook slightly in its suspension and beads of sweat gathered on Sans’s brow.

 

“Stop!” Toriel cried out, suddenly noticing his plan. The sudden shout startled Sans and he lost his grip on his magic, dropping the bowl on the table. Fortunately, it didn’t shatter or even crack. The large boss monster let out a huff of relief and quickly walked over to Sans’s side.

 

“You know the doctor told you not to use your magic yet. We wouldn’t want you to damage the crack in your SOUL. You have to give it time to heal,” she scorned motherly. She grabbed the bowl and put it in the sink, but she didn’t wash it yet, wanting to make sure Sans didn’t need anything more. When she turned back around, Sans was already struggling to stand up on his own. Toriel tsked and shook her head. Mentally she wondered how the skeleton brothers could be so stubborn.

 

Not wanting to baby her friend, Toriel just patiently watched as Sans stood up and slowly made his way to the couch. She kept close by so that she could help him if he needed. His hands were still badly injured but he had insisted on having people let him crutch his way over short distances. It most definitely was painful and  _ not _ what the doctor wanted him to do, but there was no stopping the short skeleton.

 

He dropped himself onto the couch in a pile of bones and cloth unceremoniously. Toriel grabbed the television remote from the coffee table and put it on the cushion next to him before heading back into the kitchen to do the dirty dishes. From the other room, she heard the television come on, the volume decreasing until it was at a very low volume, one that told her that Sans didn’t really plan on watching it. 

 

On the couch, Sans sat staring impassively. His gaze wasn’t really focused and he hadn't even been watching for long. Normally, Sans would give practically anything to just sit back at home and do nothing, but after being unable to do anything for himself for so long, he was starting to become restless. While he appreciated everyone’s help, he was sick of being treated like glass. He wasn’t  _ completely  _ helpless! An agitated sigh made its way out of him and he started bouncing his good leg in an anxious manner. His brow bone furrowed in discontent. 

 

He didn’t notice Toriel enter until she placed her paw on his knee. Sans looked up at her, his dull eyelights meeting her caring, amber eyes. She offereed him a gentle smile, one that he couldn’t find in himself to return without faking it. Toriel, ever the understanding monster she is, didn’t push him. Instead, she sat down on the couch beside him. For a few minutes they didn’t speak, content on just basking in each other’s presence. 

 

“Knock knock,” Toriel started, breaking the comfortable. Sans’s eternal smile became a little more genuine as he answered.

 

“who’s there?” he shot back playfully.

 

“Cows go.”

 

Already seeing where the joke was going, Sans let out a lone chuckle. “cows go, who?”

 

“No silly,” Toriel said, turning to him. “Cows go  _ moo _ !” The two laughed at the pun, slipping back to the old days in the Underground for a moment. It was better up here though, no door was separating them. Sans was the first to recover, not wanting to be out punned.

 

“what do you call a cow with two legs?” he said giddily. Toriel made a show of thinking about the answer through her giggles.

 

“I don’t know. What?”

 

“ _lean_ beef!”

 

Toriel snorted and put a paw to her snout in surprise. The sound only made the two laugh harder than before. They went back and forth for a little while, starting with more jokes about cows and then ending up with just random jokes about nothing in particular. They held their sides from laughing so much but they were happy. By the time their punnery had met its untimely end, an hour had passed. 

 

“Oh my!” Toriel exclaimed. “Would you look at the time.”

 

“eh, i don’t really feel like it,” Sans shot back without missing a beat. At fist, Toriel was confused at what he meant, but after a second she burst into another laughing fit. Sans untensed his shoulders, not even realising they had even tensed in the first place.

 

“Clever,” Toriel said slyly while looking at Sans from the corner of her eye. Getting up, she turned to be looking directly at Sans. He quirked a brow bone at her to which she just smiled softly and walked into the kitchen. Curious as to what she was doing, Sans watched as much as he could from his seat on the couch.

 

He heard the fridge open and watched as Toriel brought the milk carton to the stove. She pulled out a pot and started to warm the milk. The next time she went to the fridge, she put the milk back and took out one of the many pie tins she had brought over before. Sans pinched his face up as he tried to figure out what she was doing with all that.

 

Finally, the milk finished warming and she poured it out into two mugs. Adding a little honey, Toriel mixed them up and plated two slices of the pie. Carefully, she made her way back over to the living room with her loot. She placed one plate and both mugs on the coffee table before handing Sans a plate. He looked down at the pie and then to her with a quizzical look.

 

“won’t this spoil my lunch?” he joked. The only response he got was a wink as Toriel made herself comfortable on the couch once again. Sans shrugged, not wanting to or knowing how to argue with that. He dug into his slice carefully, his hand shaking just barely.

 

Normally, the pies Toriel made were warm and gooey, but she hadn’t heated this one up. Not that it didn’t still taste amazing, he quickly noted. It was a pumpkin pie with a little whip cream at the tip of the slice. The cool taste was refreshing when paired with the warm milk and Sans felt his eyes close in delight.

 

“Glad to see you’re enjoying it,” Toriel hummed. Sans could only nod in response. The giggle that followed let him know she saw. He finished the pie slowly but still found himself wishing he had savoured the flavour more. He still had some milk left so he quickly washed it all down. Toriel moved his plate onto the coffee table and he felt himself start to drift. He wasn’t even mad about it though. There was nothing better than falling asleep in good company on a full stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry this is late! The internet at my place has been kinda spotty all week but I thought it would've been better by now...
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!


	17. Not Who They Seem

Jack wraps his arms around himself and shivers as he steps into the cool building. How he always managed to forget a jacket when he came was a mystery greater than any. 

 

The warehouse Jack now stood in was also much of a mystery in a way. It sat on the outskirts of Ebott City and the surrounding buildings were few and far between. From the outside, the warehouse looked abandoned. The windows were boarded up, paint chipped and flaked off the siding at the slightest touch. Rust covered the exposed metal. In strong winds, the warehouse would creak and groan, sounding on the edge of collapsing on itself.

 

The inside, however, was a different story. The whole place had been renovated in secret. The once scratched wood flooring was replaced with gray linoleum tiling and the walls were painted with fresh coats. Electricity buzzed through the warehouse as though it had never been shut down.

 

“Richard?” Jack calls out as he walks further into the building. When he doesn’t get a reply, he sighs and pulls out his phone. Before he can dial Richard’s number, echoing footsteps make their way towards him.

 

“Took you long enough,” Richard grunts out. Jack recoils at the statement and a sheepish grin spreads across his face. Without another word, the two of them head down a long hallway and to a room with several shelves with all sorts of equipment.

 

A tall woman with brown hair pulled into a high bun stands at a work bench. Chemicals sit in test tubes around the surface and she holds two in her hands. She holds one up to her face and pours the other one slowly into the other. The two liquids mix and become a milky lavender colour. A wicked grin spreads across her face as she puts a cork into the opening and puts down the complete solution.

 

“I told you I could find an easier way,” she calls over her shoulder. Jack and Richard finally step into the room now that she’s done mixing the chemicals.

 

“I didn’t doubt you for a second,” Richard replies coolly. He comes to her side and grabs the test tube. He brings the glass to eye level and shakes it gently. The liquid sloshes against the walls of the tube sluggishly.

 

“What is it?” Jack asks, confused. Two sets of eyes turn around to him and he raises his hands defensively.

 

“A prototype for a new magic suppressant. If this works, it would cut the production time drastically and I could make larger batches at one time,” the woman says matter of factly. Jack just nods his head and looks over at the previous samples. 

 

The woman takes an empty syringe and uncorks the suppressant. She fills the syringe with the milky substance. It looks as though it’s faintly glowing. 

 

Jack looks at the sharp needle nervously and swallows harshly.

 

“How, uh. How are you gonna test that?” Jack asks. The woman looks back at him scornfully. She then turns to Richard with a giddy smile.

 

“Remember that lizard  _ bitch _ I was telling you about that I work with?’ Richard doesn’t respond but a slight twitch of the corners of his mouth says it all. He nods slowly as a smile stretches across his face. 

 

“Tomorrow. At work. I’ll try injecting her with a sample.”

 

Jack steps forward, a concerned expression on his visage. 

 

“Don’t you think that’ll be too...obvious?” At the stern expressions pointed in his direction he stammers out a response. “Well. I mean...don’t you think...It’ll be suspicious. Isn’t there a different way? Slip it in her drink or something, I don’t know.” He’s mostly mumbling to himself by the end, but the other two hear him. 

 

Richard mulls over the thought, letting it sink in and ruminate while the woman looks less than pleased at Jack’s suggesting. Richard nods a note and nods. 

 

“I think he’s right.” The woman’s eyes narrow at Jack. “She’s smart. Too smart. She’ll get suspicious. It’d be a  _ lot _ easier to just dump some in her coffee or something,” Richard agrees. The woman’s expression never changes and she doesn’t look away from Jack, but she does nod stiffly in compliance. 

 

“Good. If that’s all settled, I have somewhere I have to be,” Richard says, already on his way out of the room. “I’ll see you guys later,” he calls over his shoulder. His footsteps echo down the hallway, accentuating the tense silence of the room. 

 

“Get out of here,” the woman says dismissively. Jack stiffens but turns and leaves the room anyway. 

 

Somehow, it’s even chillier in the hall than it was when he first got there. Dread hangs heavy over his head and not for the first time, Jack wonders if this is the right thing to do. 

 

~~~

 

Alphys strolled into the lab in the morning, timidly waving at the other scientists.

 

Other than finally getting the woman of her dreams and being free of their underground prison, the best part about being on the surface to Alphys was getting to work with other scientists.  When they had been freed, the humans had been fascinated with the Core and how it managed to convert geothermal and magical energy into electricity to power a whole underground civilization. Alphys, being the only one who even knew half of what went down in the Core’s inner workings, was questioned by the human scientists, intrigued by its power. With her help, appliances that could convert magic into electricity and the like were invented to help make lives easier for everyone.

 

“Hello Doctor Alphys,” called a tall woman with dark brown hair with a wave. Alphys looked over, slightly embarrassed at having been caught deep in thought.

 

“O-Oh hi Doc-Dr. Nemming,” she replied with a shy wave of her own. Dr. Nemming was one of the first scientists she had met and since then had been a big help with getting her accustomed to how things worked in the lab. Alphys wouldn’t quite think of them being friends, but they certainly weren’t strangers.

 

“How’s your morning been so far?” Dr. Nemming said with a kind smile. 

 

The two of them walked side by side down to the lab proper, talking about what they did over the weekend and even about what they were planning to do next weekend.

 

“Your friend just got out of the hospital, right? The skeleton? How is he?” Alphys sighed, looking down at the ground. 

 

“He’s...h-he’s healing. It’s been re-really hard for h-im. He won’t t-talk to any of us a-and I’m...worried that he-he’s not as okay a-as he wants u-us to think he i-is,” she said truthfully. In all honesty, Alphys knew that Sans was just putting up a front to keep them all from worrying, but all it did was make them worry more.

 

“Well, I hear a cracked SOUL is almost as hard to heal as it is rare to happen. You just need to give him time and I’m sure everything will get better,” Dr. Nemming stated assuringly. That made Alphys pause.

 

No one outside of their friend group, Sans’s doctors, and the police on his case knew that his SOUL was cracked. Alphys highly doubted that anyone was going around telling people about his condition and in Alphys’s mind, there was only one way for Dr. Nemming to know.

 

“Doctor Alphys?” Dr. Nemming called, having noticed that Alphys had stopped walking with her a little ways away. She turned fully and started towards her, noticing her slightly distressed look.

 

“Are you alright?” Alphys suddenly didn’t feel safe around her co-worker.

 

“Y-yeah I-I’m fine. I just...I-I think th-that I forgot m-my l-lunch at h-home. I’m just g-gonna call m-my girlf-friend really q-quick,” she said, already fishing in her pocket to get out her phone. Dr. Nemming looked suspicious but nodded and headed to the lab anyway. Alphys practically sprinted to the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind her.

 

The phone rang twice before Undyne picked up.

 

“Alphys?” Undyne answered. “Are you okay?”

 

“I-I don’t think s-so. I-”

 

Whatever Alphys was going to say next was cut off by loud banging on the door. She backed away from the door with a yelp, clutching her phone in her hand tightly.

 

“Open the door Doctor Alphys,” Dr. Nemming growled from the other side.

 

“H-help me,” Alphys whispered into her phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's kinda late.
> 
> Alphys is in trouble and Undyne's probably going to kill someone. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and leaving kudos and comments. I really appreciate you all!!


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